Introduction To Statistics

INTRODUCTION
Lolita Pontillas Viado

lolita.viado@msumain.edu.ph
Chapter 1
Introduction to Statistics
• LEARNING OBJECTIVES
• The main objective of this lecture is to introduce you
to the world of statistics, thereby enabling you to:
1. Define important statistical terms as they relate to
descriptive and inferential statistics;
2. E x p l a i n t h e d i f f e r e n c e b e t w e e n v a r i a b l e s ,
measurement and data;
3. Compare the different levels of measurement:
nominal, ordinal, interval and ratio.
What is Statistics?
• Definition: Statistics is the science of
conducting studies to collect, to organize,
to summarize, to analyze and to draw
conclusions from data.
Two Areas of Statistics:
• Descriptive statistics is the branch of statistics that
deals with the methods concerned with the
collection and description of data (population or
sample). This includes anything done to the data
that is designed to summarize or describe it without
attempting to infer anything that goes beyond it.
Two Areas of Statistics
• example:
• Academic records of the graduating classes during the
past 5 years at a state university show that 72% of the
entering freshmen eventually graduated. The numerical
value, 72%, is a descriptive statistic.
Two Areas of Statistics:
Inferential statistics or statistical inference is the

branch of statistics that is concerned with using
sample data to make an inference about a population
example:
• Academic records of the graduating classes during the past 5
years at a state university show that 72% of the entering
freshmen eventually graduated. If you are a member of the
present freshman class and conclude from this study that
your chances of graduating are better than 70%, you have
made a statistical inference that is subject to uncertainty.
Definition
• Population is the complete collection of elements that
are being studied. The collection is complete in the
sense that it includes all subjects to be studied.
• Sample is a subgroup or subset of the population.

Definition
• Parameter is a characteristic or measure obtained from
a population, usually denoted using Greek letters.
• population example:
mean (μ),
standard deviation (σ)
• parameter
Definition
• Statistic is a characteristic or measure obtained from a
sample usually denoted using Roman letters.
• Sample example:
•mean ( ͞x)
• standard deviation (s)
Statistic
Definition
• Census is the collection of data from every element of
the population
• Survey is the collection of data from a sample.

Variables and Types of Data
• Variable is a characteristic or attribute that can assume

different values.
example: gender, age, weight, religion, etc.
• Data are the values (measurements or observations)
that the variables can assume.
• example: gender (male,female)
Two types of variables (data):
• Qualitative (or categorical or attribute) Variables (data)
are variables which assume non-numerical values.
• example: gender (male, female)
religion (Islam, Christianity,...)
year level (freshman, sophomore, junior,senior)
Two types of variables (data):
• Quantitative (or numerical) Variables(data) are

variables which assume numerical values.
• - can be classified into discrete or continuous.

Discrete vs Continuous
ØDiscrete variables assume a finite or countable

number of possible values usually obtained by
counting.
example:
• number of cars owned by a family
• number of pizzas sold last month in
the Philippines
Discrete vs Continuous
ØContinuous variables assume all values between any

two specific values and are obtained by measuring.
• example:
• lifetimes of batteries
• weights of newborn infants at a certain
hospital
• ages of best actors
Levels of measurement
• Definition: Measurement is the process of determining
the value/s of a variable.
There are four levels of measurement: nominal, ordinal,

interval and ratio. Data are classified according to the
highest level which it fits.
v Nominal level of measurement

characterized by data that consist of names, labels, or
categories only, and the data cannot be arranged in
an ordering scheme (such as low to high)
Example: Survey responses: yes, no
Telephone number:
: ...
vOrdinal level of measurement

involves data that can be arranged in some order, but
differences between data values either cannot be
determined or are meaningless
Example: honor roll: valedictorian,salutatorian, etc...
numerical grades: 1.0, 1.25, 1.5, etc..
ranks in the military: private, sergeant, lieutenant
vInterval level of measurement

like the ordinal level, with the additional property that
the difference between any two data values is
meaningful, however, there is no natural zero starting
point (where none of the quantity is present)
Example: years: 1984, 1985, 1992, 1993, 1996
IQ: 75, 115, 120,150, ...
temperature in Celsius scale: 0, 10, 20,...
vRatio level of measurement
the interval level with the additional property that there is
also a natural zero starting point (where zero indicates that
none of the quantity is present); for values at this level,
differences and ratios are meaningful
Example: weights of newborn at a certain hospital
heights of MSU freshmen students
salaries of teachers
• Thank You!

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INTRODUCTION

Lolita Pontillas Viado

Inferential statistics or statistical inference is the

• Sample is a subgroup or subset of the population.

• Survey is the collection of data from a sample.

• Variable is a characteristic or attribute that can assume

• Quantitative (or numerical) Variables(data) are

• - can be classified into discrete or continuous.

ØDiscrete variables assume a finite or countable

ØContinuous variables assume all values between any

There are four levels of measurement: nominal, ordinal,

v Nominal level of measurement

vOrdinal level of measurement

vInterval level of measurement

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