A.P.

Statistics – Vocabulary List

Add your own definitions and examples or references, as are appropriate, to the following vocabulary.
(Please note: These lists may be collected on a random basis for credit.)

Vocabulary Term Definition, Examples, References

table

68-95-99.7 Rule

7-11-13 Rule

Acceptance sampling

Addition rule for disjoint

events

Addition rule for unions

Algebraic properties of
logarithms

Alternative hypothesis (Ha)

Anonymity

Association

Assumptions

Back-to-back stemplot

Balance point of a density

curve

1
Bar chart

Bias

Biased statistic

Binomial coefficient

Binomial distribution

Binomial distribution
assumptions

Binomial probability

Binomial random variable

Binomial setting

Bivariate data (x, y)

Blinding

Block

Block design

Boxplot

2
Capture-recapture

Categorical data

Categorical variable

Causation

Cell

Cell counts required for chi-

square test

Census

Census paradox

Center

Central Limit Theorem

Centroid of a scatterplot

Chance behavior

Chi-square distributions

Chi-square statistic

3
Chi-square test   2 

Chi-square test for goodness

of fit

Chi-square test for

homogeneity of populations

Chi-square test of
association/independence

Choosing an SRS

Cluster

Coefficient of determination
(r2)

Column variable

Common difference

Common ratio

4
Common response

Common response

Comparison

Complement of an event
(Ac)

Complement rule

Completely randomized
design
Concavity of logarithmic
functions

Concavity of power
functions

Conditional distribution

Conditional probability

Conditions for inference

about a mean

Conditions for regression

inference

Confidence interval for a

parameter
5
Confidence interval for a
population mean ( C )

Confidence interval for

mean response,  y

Confidence interval for

regression slope

Confidence intervals and

two-sided tests

Confidence intervals for

comparing 2 proportions

Confidence level (C)

Confounding

Conjecture

Constructing a confidence
interval for 

6
Continuous random variable

Control

Control group

Convenience sampling

Correlation (r)

Count

Critical value (z*)

Cumulative distribution
function (cdf)

Data (x)

Data gathering

Datum (xi)

Degrees of freedom (df)

Degrees of freedom (n – 1)

Degrees of freedom (t(k))

7
Degrees of freedom for chi-
square distributions
Degrees of freedom of
standard error

Density curve

Dependence

Direction

Discrete random variable

Disjoint

Display

Distribution

Distribution types

Dotplot

Double-blind experiment

Empty event   

Equal-areas point of a
density curve

Equally likely outcomes

Event

Expected count

8
Expected value x 
Experiment

Experimental design

Experimental unit

Explanatory variable

Exploratory data analysis

Exponential distribution

Exponential function

Exponential growth/decay

Extrapolation

Factorial (n!)

Factors

False negative

False positive

9
Finding normal proportions

Five-number summary

Fixed significance level z-

tests for a population mean

Form

Free response item

Frequency

Gap

Gaussian curve

Generalizability

Geometric distribution

Geometric probability

Geometric random variable

Geometric setting

10
Graph

Hawthorne effect

Hidden bias

Histogram

Independence

Individuals

Inference

Inference about a population

proportion

Inference about a proportion

Inflection points

11
Influential observation

Intercept

Interquartile range (IQR)

Intersection   

Investigative task

Joint event

Joint probability

Lack of realism

Law of large numbers

Learning steps

Least-squares regression
facts

Least-squares regression line

(LSRL) ( y = a + bx)

Legitimate probability
values

12
Level

Linear growth

Linear transformation

Linearity

Logarithmic function

Logarithmic transformation

Logic of experimental
design

Lurking variable

Margin of error (m)

Margin of error decreases ...

Margin of error for p

Marginal distributions

Matched pairs design

Matched pairs t procedures

Matching

13
Mathematical model

Mean x 

Mean   

Mean of a binomial random

variable
Mean of a discrete random
variable   x 

Mean of a geometric count

Mean of a geometric random

variable

Mean of a sample mean

Mean of the sampling

distribution

Measurement

Median (M)

Mode

Modified boxplot

Monotonic decreasing
function

Monotonic function (f(t))

14
Monotonic increasing
function
Monotonicity of logarithmic
functions

Monotonicity of power
functions

Multiple regression

Multiplication principle

Multiplication rule for

independent events

Multistage (multilevel)
sample design

Negative association

Nomenclature

Nonresistant measure

Nonresponse

Normal approximation for

binomial distributions

Normal approximation for

the sampling distribution

Normal density curve

Normal distribution,
N   , 

15
Normal probability plot

Normally distributed data

Null hypothesis (Ho)

Observation

Observational study

Odds

Ogive

One-sample t procedures

One-sample t statistic

One-sample z-statistic

One-sided alternative

One-way table

Outcomes

Outlier

16
Parallel boxplot

Parameter

Pattern

Percent

Percentile (%ile)

Pie chart

Placebo effect

Pooled sample proportion

Pooled sample z-statistic

Population

Population mean   

Population proportion (p)

Positive association

Power (of the test against the

alternative)

Power function

Power law model

Power regression

17
Predicted response y 
Prediction interval

Prediction interval for a

single observation

Principles of experimental
design

Probabilities in a finite
sample space

Probability

Probability distribution

Probability distribution
function (pdf)

Probability histogram

Probability model

Probability of taking more

than n trials to see the first
success

Probability rules

18
Probability sample

Probability theory

Probability tree

Properties of standard
deviation (s)

Proportion

P-value

Qualitative analysis

Quantitative variable

Quartile (Qi)

Random

Random digits table

Random phenomenon

Random seed

Random selection

19
Random variable

Randomization

Randomized block design

Range

Reexpression

Regression line

Relationship: direction,
form, strength

Replacement

Replication

Residual

Residual plot

Resistant measure

Response bias

Response variable

Robust procedures

Round-off error

Row variable

20
Rules for means

Rules for variances

Sample

Sample design

Sample mean x 

Sample proportion p  
Sample size

Sample size for a desired

margin of error

Sample space (S)

Sample survey

Sampling

Sampling data collection

methods

Sampling distribution of a
sample mean from a normal
population

Sampling distribution of a
sample proportion
21
Sampling distribution of a
statistic

Sampling frame

Sampling variability

Scatterplot

Seasonal variation

Shape

Significance

Significance and Type I

error

Significance level (  )

Significance test

Significance tests for

regression slope

Simon's paradox

Simple random sampling

(SRS)

Simulation

Simulation analysis

22
Size (n)

Skewed distribution

Slope

Split stemplot

Spread

Standard deviation  

Standard deviation (s)

Standard deviation of a
binomial random variable

Standard deviation of a
sample mean

Standard deviation of the

sampling distribution

Standard error about the line

Standard error of p

Standard error of the statistic

Standard error of the statistic


p1  
p2

Standard normal distribution

23
Standard normal table

Standardized score

Standardized value (z)

Standardized variable

Statistic

Statistical inference

Statistical sampling

Statistically significant

Statistically significant at
level 

Statistics

Stemplot

Strata

Stratified random sampling

Stratum

Strength

Study

24
Subject

Sum of the squares for error

(SSE)

Summation   

Symmetric distribution

t procedures

t-distribution

Test statistic

Testing hypotheses

Time plot

Total probability

Total sum of the squares

about the mean, y (SSM)

Transformation (t)

Treatment

Tree diagram

25
Trend

True regression line   y 

t-score

Two sample means

comparisons

Two sample problems

Two sample standard error

Two sample t procedures

Two sample t statistic

Two sample z statistic

Two-sided alternative

Two-way table

Type I error

Type II error

26
Unbiased statistic

Undercoverage

Uniform distribution

Union   

Univariate data (x)

Upper p critical value

Variability

Variability of a statistic

Variable

Variance (s2)

Variance of a discrete
random variable  X2 
Variance of a geometric
random variable

Venn diagram

Voluntary response sample

Wording of questions

z-score

27
z-statistic for a sample
proportion

z-test for a population mean

28