MS102 - Quantitative Methods: Descriptive Statistics

Objectives

1. Understand the Core Concepts: Gain foundational knowledge of descriptive statistics

and its role in analyzing quantitative data.

2. Learn to Summarize Data: Acquire skills to organize raw data into meaningful

summaries.

3. Explore Measures of Central Tendency: Study the mean, median, and mode in detail

and learn when to use each.

4. Understand Variability in Data: Learn about range, variance, standard deviation, and

their importance.

5. Utilize Graphical Representation: Develop proficiency in creating histograms, box

plots, and other visual tools to interpret data.

6. Apply in Real-World Scenarios: Connect descriptive statistics to practical applications

in various fields.

Introduction to Descriptive Statistics

Descriptive statistics involves techniques for summarizing and organizing data to extract

meaningful insights. Unlike inferential statistics, which draws conclusions about a population

based on a sample, descriptive statistics focuses on presenting data in a clear and understandable

way.
Key Areas of Descriptive Statistics

1. Measures of Central Tendency

These measures help us identify the "center" of a data set. They provide a single value

that represents the entire data distribution.

o Mean: The arithmetic average, calculated as:

Mean=∑XN\text{Mean} = \frac{\sum X}{N}

where XX represents individual data points and NN is the total number of data

points.

The mean is sensitive to extreme values (outliers). For example, if a data set

contains 5, 10, 15, and 100, the mean is higher due to the extreme value (100).

o Median: The middle value when data is sorted in ascending order. It is less

sensitive to outliers. For example, in the data set 5, 10, 15, and 100, the median is

12.5.

o Mode: The most frequently occurring value in a data set. For example, in 1, 2, 2,

3, the mode is 2. Data sets can be unimodal, bimodal, or multimodal.

2. Measures of Dispersion

These measures indicate the spread or variability of data:

o Range: The simplest measure of spread, calculated as the difference between the

maximum and minimum values.

Range=Maximum−Minimum\text{Range} = \text{Maximum} - \text{Minimum}

as:

Variance=∑(X−Mean)2N\text{Variance} = \frac{\sum (X - \text{Mean})^2}{N}

A smaller variance indicates that data points are closer to the mean, while a larger

variance shows a greater spread.

o Standard Deviation (SD): The square root of the variance, providing a measure

of dispersion in the same units as the original data.

SD=Variance\text{SD} = \sqrt{\text{Variance}}

3. Shape of Data Distribution

o Symmetrical Distribution: Mean = Median = Mode (e.g., normal distribution).

o Skewed Distribution: In a positively skewed distribution, the mean is greater

than the median, while in a negatively skewed distribution, the mean is less than

the median.

4. Graphical Representations

Graphs and charts allow for quick interpretation of data. Key tools include:

o Histograms: Show frequency distribution using bars.

o Box Plots: Represent data spread, median, quartiles, and outliers.

o Pie Charts: Useful for showing proportions within categorical data.

o Scatter Plots: Depict relationships between two variables.

Descriptive statistics are widely used in:

 Business: Analyzing sales trends, customer preferences, and market share.

 Healthcare: Summarizing patient data to identify patterns.

 Social Sciences: Understanding survey data and public opinion.

 Education: Evaluating student performance and academic trends.

Importance of Descriptive Statistics

 Simplifies complex data into manageable summaries.

 Helps identify patterns and anomalies.

 Forms the basis for further statistical analysis.

References

1. Triola, M. F. (2018). Elementary Statistics. Pearson Education.

2. McClave, J. T., & Sincich, T. (2017). Statistics. Pearson Education.

3. Bluman, A. G. (2018). Elementary Statistics: A Step-by-Step Approach. McGraw-Hill

Education.

4. Online Resources: Khan Academy, StatTrek, and Desmos.

Assessment Test
Multiple Choice Questions

1. What is the formula for the mean of a data set?

A. Total of all values ÷ Number of values

B. Largest value − Smallest value

C. Sum of squares of differences ÷ Number of values

D. None of the above

2. Which measure of central tendency is most appropriate for skewed data?

A. Mean

B. Median

C. Mode

D. Range

3. What does standard deviation indicate?

A. The middle value of data

B. The spread of data

C. The most common value

D. None of the above B. Quantitative Data

C. Qualitative Data

D. None of the above

4. The variance is calculated by:

A. Summing the data points.

B. Dividing the range by the mean.

C. Averaging the squared deviations from the mean.

D. Multiplying the mean and range.

A. 5

B. 10

C. 6

D. 8

6. What is the range of the data set: 12, 8, 15, 10, 18?

A. 5

B. 10

C. 6

D. 8

7. A histogram is most suitable for:

A. Categorical Data

8. Which graphical tool is best for identifying outliers?

A. Bar Chart

B. Pie Chart

C. Box Plot

D. Scatter Plot

9. What does a positively skewed distribution imply?

A. Mean < Median

B. Mean = Median = Mode

D. Mean = Mode

10. Which is NOT a measure of dispersion?

A. Variance

B. Range

C. Mode

D. Standard Deviation

11. The mode is:

A. The average value

B. The middle value

C. The most frequently occurring value

D. None of the above

Enumeration Questions

1. List the three measures of central tendency.

2. Enumerate the steps for calculating the standard deviation.

3. Mention four types of charts used in descriptive statistics.

4. List three benefits of using descriptive statistics in decision-making.

5. Identify three real-life applications of descriptive statistics.

Answer Key

Multiple Choice Questions

2. B

3. B

4. B

5. C

6. B

7. C

8. C

9. C

10. C

Enumeration Questions

1. Mean, Median, Mode

2. Calculate the mean, subtract the mean from each data point, square the differences, sum

the squared differences, and divide by the number of data points (for variance); take the

square root of variance (for SD).

3. Histogram, Box Plot, Pie Chart, Scatter Plot

4. Simplifies data analysis, enhances decision-making, identifies trends and anomalies.

5. Survey analysis, healthcare data summaries, business sales trends.

Members: Joann Roa

Jovelyn Ortinez

John Ronald Lestino