PSYC105 Lecture 2: PSYC105 STATISTICS Lecture 2: Introduction to Statistics II
18 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
PSYC105 STATISTICS
Week Two: Introduction to Statistics II
Week Two: Introduction to Statistics II
Lecture Outline
- Definitions
o Samples and populations
o Parameters and statistics
o Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics
- Kinds of data
o Quantitative v qualitative
- Measurement levels
o Nominal
o Ordinal
o Interval
o Ratio
Research Steps
- Research questions – what are you interested in investigating?
- Generate hypotheses – what are your predictions?
- Operationalise constructs – what are you measuring? How will you measure it?
- Design and conduct the study – what kind of study design?
- Collect the data – measure stuff
- Analyse the data – statistics
- Draw conclusion – were your hypotheses supported or not? What are the limitations
of the conclusions? What does this mean for the topic and wider field?
Samples and Populations
- Population: the wider group you’re interested in
- Sample: a (representative) selection from the population, from whom you collect
data
- Example: does attending study group sessions improve students’ final exam marks
o Population: all students in Australia (or in the world?)
o Sample: 500 Macquarie University students
- Example: does physical punishment increase how obedient children are?
o Population: Australian children
o Sample: 150 children selected from Sydney primary schools
- The researcher sets the population, and selects the sample based on the population,
before the study is designed
- Research questions are always about the population
- Conclusions from a study are always made back to the population
Parameters and Statistics
- Parameter: a numeric summary of the population
- Statistic: a numeric summary of the sample
Document Summary
Definitions: samples and populations, parameters and statistics, descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. Kinds of data: quantitative v qualitative. Population: the wider group you"re interested in. Sample: a (representative) selection from the population, from whom you collect data. Example: does attending study group sessions improve students" final exam marks: population: all students in australia (or in the world?, sample: 500 macquarie university students. Example: does physical punishment increase how obedient children are: population: australian children, sample: 150 children selected from sydney primary schools. The researcher sets the population, and selects the sample based on the population, before the study is designed. Research questions are always about the population. Conclusions from a study are always made back to the population. Parameter: a numeric summary of the population. Statistic: a numeric summary of the sample. Unit of observation: the level of which you"re interested in sampling. Data: a collection of information that has been recorded from your sample.
