FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OYE EKITI

FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCE

DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

FSS 102

INTRODUCTION TO STATISTIC FOR SOCIAL SCIENCE

COURSE OUTLINE:
1. What is Statistics
a. Nature of Statistics
b. Purpose of Statistics
c. Types of Statistics
d. Common Terms and Concept in Statistics

2. Variable
a. What is Variable
b. Types of Variable
c. Measurement
d. Level of Measurement.

3. Basic Descriptive Statistics. [Mean, Median,Mode].

4. Diagrammatic and graphical presentation of Distribution/ data

a. How to prepare
i. Bar Chart
ii. Pie Chart
iii. Histogram
iv. Cumulative Frequency Distribution

5. Hypothesis Testing
a. Normal Curve Model
b. Directional and non-directional hypothesis
c. Decision group
d. Test of Significant

6. Statistical test and method

a. Correlation test
b. Pearson Correlation
c. Spearman Correlation

7. Chi Square Test

 a. Goodness of fit test
b. Test of Independence

8. T-test
a. T-test for independence sample and t-test for repeated sample

9. Data
a. Types of data
b. Qualitative Data
c. Source of Data
i. Primary Source
ii. Secondary source
1. Advantages of Primary source over secondary source
data
d. Limitation of data collection.
 1. STATISTICS

What’s Statistics?

It is the collection and interpretation of data. We use it to measure and analyse

variability. It can also be said to be the collection of describing, summarising,

and drawing conclusions from data.

TYPES OF STATISTICS

1. Inferential Statistics: Taking samples, analysing the samples and judging

the samples to make a claim about a population/conclusion about a

populate.Inferential Statistics is a method that allows us to use information

collected from a sample to make decisions, predictions or inferences from

a population.

2. Descriptive statistics: Descriptive statistics is a way to organise,

represent and describe a collection of data using tables, graphs, and

summary measures. For example, the collection of people in a city using

the internet or using Television.

 2. VARIABLE

A variable is anything that changes or has different values. Any characteristics

that can vary among people or situations that can be of many types. They are

generally used to determine if changes in one thing resolves to changes to

another. In essence, they play a critical role in research. By systematically

changing some variables in an experiment or research and measuring what

happens as a result of the change, researchers or experimenters are able to

learn more about cost and effect relationship.

TYPES OF VARIABLE.

Essentially, we have 3 types:

1. Independent / high-heel variables

2. Dependent variable

3. Extraneous Variable.

1. Independent/ high heel variable (IV) : It is also known as the predictor

value, and it is the variable which experiment manipulates or controls and

as such the variables whose effects the experiment enters in. E.g A

researcher is interested in examining the impact of sleep deprivation on

test performance. Sleep is the independent variable because some of the

study participants would be sleep deprived while some others would be

fully rested.
 2. Dependent Variable (DV) : is also called the “outcome” variable, it is the

variable measured by the experimenter. It is the outcome which may or

may not be predicted to depend on the (IV).

3. Extraneous variable: Also called the “confounding variables”. The IV

and DV are not the only variables present in research. In some cases,

extraneous variables may also play a role.

It is that variable that may have an impact on the relationship

between the independent and dependent variables. The extraneous variables

are also good variables but for the purpose of that particular experiment or

research they are not needed and if not controlled would influence the result or

relationship between the (iv) and (dv). The example of the effect of sleep

deprivation on test performance, other factors such as age, gender and

academic background may have an impact on the result. In such cases, the

experimenter or researcher would note the value of these extraneous variables

so that their impact can be controlled.

We have two basic types of extraneous variables:

1. Participant Variables: These are extraneous variables related to the

individual characters of each study participant that may impact on how

they respond. These factors include background differences, mood,

anxiety, intelligence and other characteristics that are unique to each

person.
 2. Situational Variables: These are extraneous variables to think of the

environment that may impact how each participant can be affected by cold

while others may be distracted or annoyed by the temperature.

MEASUREMENT.
It is the assignment of scores to individuals so that the scores represent some

characteristics of the individual. SS STEVEN in 1946 suggested that scores can

be assigned to individuals such that they communicate more or less quantitative

information about the variable of interest.

He suggested that scores can be assigned to individuals such that they

communicate more or less. He suggested 4 different levels of measurement

which he called scales of measurement that corresponds to 4 different levels of

quantitative information that can be communicated to a set of variables used in

research is important because the level of measurement determines the types of

statistical analysis that can be conducted.

Also, the conclusion that can be drawn from research depends on the

statistical analysis used.

Four types of levels of measurement.

1. Nominal scale: It is the basic level of measurement and it uses

symbols to classify observations into mutually exclusive ( means

categories must be distinct so that more observation falls into more

than one category) and exhaustive categories (sufficient categories

must exist so that more observation falls in).

At this level, we can only determine whether 2 observations

are alive or different. All observations in one category are

alive on some property or characteristics and differ from the

members in the other category. We cannot however say that

one category is better or worse than the other category.

2. Ordinal Scale: This is the next level of intense complexity and it

uses symbols to classify observation into categories that are not

only mutually exclusive and exhaustive, in addition, the categories

have some explicit relationship.

3. Interval Scale: Classifies information into mutually exclusive and

exhaustive categories that have some relationship among them and

the relationship is low and exact. A key distinction of the interval

scale is that numerically equal distance on the scale reflects equal

differences in the temperature between 38 degrees and 40 celsius

is the same as the 2 celsius difference and 5 celsius.

 The intervals between the two categories are equal but they

originate from some arbitrary point of origin. This means that

no meaningful point exists.

4. Ratio Scale: is the same as the interval scale with the addition of a

meaningful zero (0) e.g weight, money, time.

BASIC DESCRIPTIVE STATISTIC.

1. Frequency distribution of grouped and ungrouped data.

2. Measure of central tendency

3. Measure of dispersion and variability, e.g mean deviation

4. Percentile and decile.

CORRELATION.
It means more than one variable. To see the relationship between two or more

variables. It helps to analyse the association between two or more variables. If

two variables vary in a way that movement in 1 affects the others (this is

correlation).
 Advantages.

1. It let’s one know the direction - either positive or negative

2. It helps to predict event in which there is a time-gap

3. It helps in planning

4. It helps to control events

TYPES OF CORRELATION

1. Positive
2. Negative
3. Single,Multiple and partial Correlation

It can be classified under the following:

1. Positive: Two variables are set to be positively correlated when both the
variables move in the same direction. E.g If one is going up, the other
goes up.

2. Negative: Two variables are set to be negatively correlated when both

variables move in the opposite direction, the correlation is said to be
negative (inversely related) when the increase in the value of one is
accompanied by the decrease in the value of another.

3. Single,Multiple and Partial correlation:

a. Single:Correlation is said to be simple when two variables are

involved.

b. Multiple: Three or more variables are studied simultaneously.

 c. Partial: In Partial correlation, though more than 2 variables are

recognized but only two are considered to be influencing each other

and the effect of other influencing variables are kept constant.

4. Linear and non-linear correlation: If the amount of change in one

variable terms to bear a constant ratio to the amount of change in the

other variable, then the correlation is said to be linear. The correlation is

said to be non-linear if the amount of change in one variable does not bear

a const ratio in the amount of change in the other related variable.

Measure of correlation.

1. Scattered Diagrams

2. The Pearson coefficient correlation

3. Rank correlation coefficient

Advantages

1. Scattered Diagrams

a. Very easy to draw

b. It is easily understood
c. Extreme item does not give a precise degree of
correlation
d. It is not amendable.
BASIC DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS
EXTRAS / POTENTIAL QUESTIONS.
These are potential questions/topics (from a 200 lvl POL
student) that weren't covered in the (FSS) course outline
that could surface during the exam.