POLI 210 Lecture Notes - Lecture 14: Research Question, Observational Error, Statistical Inference
9 Apr 2018
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Document Summary
Parameter: a number that describes a characteristic of our population. Statistic: any number that describes some aspect of the sample (i. e. sample mean, average difference between the two groups) Descriptive statistics: allows researchers to summarize the data in an effective and meaningful way (mean, median, mode, standard deviation, variance find definitions for all) Inferential statistics: allows for decisions or inferences from data to a population based on interpretable patters (chi-squared, t-test ) Tests the probability that sample statistics are reasonable estimates of population parameters. Statistical inference: the act of generalizing from a sample to a population with calculated degree of certainty. Generalizability: the extent to which the results can be applied to general population, Achieved by drawing random samples so that any unit of population has equal chance of being selected. Sample should be large enough for reliable inferences to be made.
