Descriptive and Inferential Statistics

Statistics provides us with very useful tools and techniques that aide us in dealing with real world scenarios. I have been able to learn several useful concepts by studying statistics that can aide me in making rational and informed decisions that are supported by the analysis results. Statistics as a discipline is the application and development of various processes put in place to gather, interpret, and analyse the information. The quantification of biological, social, and scientific phenomenons, design and analysis of experiments and surveys, and application of

Week Seven Homework Exercise Answer the following questions, covering material from Ch. 13 of Methods in Behavioral Research Define inferential statistics and how researchers use inferential statistics to draw conclusions from sample data. According to Cozby (2009) inferential statistics are used to determine whether we can in fact make statements that the results reflect what would happen if we were to conduct the experiment again and again with multiple samples Define probability and discuss how it relates to the concept of statistical significance. Probability is the possible that an outcome of an experience or an event will occur (Cozby 2009) Statistical significant and probability are one in the same. A researcher is studying the

• Provide at least two examples or problem situations in which statistics was used or could be used.

For this week's lecture, Dr. David Laude focused on the reasons why people often hate statistics by giving his input on how it allows for the better understanding and evaluation of data collected. By illustrating different ways in which people use statistics to reach a conclusion, the professor was able to highlight the way these influence decision-making scenarios. To establish his point, the professor purposely explained statistics with the use of scenarios that would make students attentive on the subject. like the ways in which statistics measures a student’s capabilities to perform in the university.

Statistics refers to the use of numerical information in everyday life to calculate facts and figures in limitless circumstances. In addition, statistics refers to the scientific collecting, classifying, summarizing, organizing, analyzing, and interpreting numerical data. This week the class’s objectives were to apply the steps in testing a research hypothesis, to compare the means of two or more groups, and to calculate the correlation between two variables. Learning Team D’s members have reflected on each of these issues and share their insights on these objectives.

The sample for this study consisted of 222 participants who were second year psychology students from the University of Newcastle. All students were participating as part of a course requirement and all had given their consent to participating in the study.

In order to know whether the evidence of research studies are accurate, one must be able to have a fundamental understanding in statistical analyses to determine if such descriptions and findings within manuscripts and articles are presented correctly and explicitly (Sullivan, 2012). Proper use of statistics begins with the understanding of both descriptive and inferential statistics. Correct organization and description of data characteristics from the population sample being studied leads the researcher to identify a hypothesis and formulate inferences about such characteristics. It is with inferential statistics that researchers conduct appropriate tests of significance and determine whether to accept or reject the identified null

A person should consider I/O psychology as a science because of its use of scientific research and its practice and because of its use of descriptive and inferential statistics (Spector, 2012), “I/O psychologists do many different jobs in a wide variety of settings” (p. 6). One divides I/O settings into two areas of concern, which are scientific research and practice. The research area provides certain principles, which one applies in practice. The activity of practice involves using psychological principles for solving problems of the real-world. Scientific research and practice are both important in I/O psychology. I/O psychologist perform studies were the requirements of statistical methods are necessary for analysis of data. Statistical methods are used to perform studies are descriptive and inferential statistics. I/O psychologists use descriptive statistics for summarizing study results. I/O psychologists use inferential statistics for the purpose of interpreting the results of studies by using different statistical tests.

Research, systematic inquiry aimed at the discovery of new knowledge, is a central ingredient of the scientific method in psychology. It provides the key to understanding the degree to which hypotheses (and the theories behind them) are accurate. Just as we can apply different theories and hypotheses to explain the same phenomena, we can use a number of alternative methods to conduct research.

When analyzing data, such as the marks achieved by 100 students for a piece of coursework, it is possible to use both descriptive and inferential statistics in your analysis of their marks. Typically, in most research conducted on groups of people, you will use both descriptive and inferential statistics to analyses your results and draw conclusions. So what are descriptive and inferential statistics? And what are their differences? Descriptive statistics is the term given to the analysis of data that helps describe, show or summarize data in a meaningful way such that, for example, patterns might emerge from the data. Descriptive statistics do not, however, allow us to make conclusions beyond the data we have analyzed or reach conclusions regarding any hypotheses we might have made. They are simply a way to describe our data.

Statistics is a mathematical science pertaining to the collection, analysis, interpretation or explanation, and presentation of data. It is applicable to a wide variety of academic disciplines, from the physical and social sciences to the humanities. Statistics are also used for making informed decisions – and misused for other reasons – in all areas of business and government. Statistical methods can be used to summarize or describe a collection of data; this is called descriptive statistics. In addition, patterns in the data may be modeled in a way that accounts for randomness and uncertainty in the observations, and then used to draw inferences about the process or population being studied; this is called inferential statistics. Both

Faulty statistics seem to create a life of their own, they linger around. For scholarly reasons, a graduate student had come across and used a cited, nevertheless negative social statistic. This led to the questioning of where did this statistic originate from? There were no questions or critical thinking when this incorrect idea was not only formed, yet publicized. Unfortunately, society is likely to welcome and reproduce bad statistics, whether they be created or guessed, they could alter the knowledge of humanity. Data is needed though utmost importantly, need to be reputable for us to correctly and informative. Presenting many examples, explaining why statistics are essential, who uses them, and why, the writer provides somewhat of a list of considerations to make when one is approaching them.

"Descriptive statistics is the term given to the analysis of data that helps describe, show or summarize data in a meaningful way such that, for example, patterns might emerge from the data" (Understanding descriptive and inferential statistics, 2012, Laerd). Examples of descriptive statistics include an analysis of central tendency (the position of most members of the group in a particular category, such as age) and measures of spread (the range of members of a group, such as in terms of their various ages). Inferential statistics are often used when not all members of the group can feasibly be tested. "Inferential statistics are techniques that allow us to use these samples to make generalizations about the populations from which the samples were drawn," although the sample must accurately represent the population (Understanding descriptive and inferential statistics, 2012, Laerd). "Both descriptive and inferential statistics rely on the same set of data. Descriptive statistics rely solely on this set of data whilst inferential statistics also rely on this data in order to make generalisations about a larger population" (Understanding descriptive and inferential statistics, 2012, Laerd).

Yet another assumption, is the assumption that inferential statistics in psychological and educational research produce population data that is normally distributed. This does depend on the analysis conducted, such as univariate, multivariate,

Welcome back! This power point is not as complex or as long as the previous power point. However, we’ll review very interesting concepts that you have heard before, such as estimation, hypothesis testing, and statistical significance. These are foundational concepts that will be used when we conduct inferential statistical techniques. I hope that you find the powerpoints helpful.