Learning Team Reflection
QNT/351
Learning Team Reflection
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.
Testing a Research Hypothesis
The purpose of testing a research hypothesis is to prove or disprove the
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Whenever the area of interest involves the differences, comparison, proportions or variability, then data can be collected on two or more groups—this would be considered the target parameter (Lind, Marchal, & Wathen, 2011).
In a quantitative analysis the interest is more likely to compare means or variances; whereas, a qualitative experiment with two outcomes is more likely to focus on success or failure. When comparing the means of two or more groups these populations can both or all be independent and the expectation is to determine the reason for a difference in the means—this would deliver a result where the means are other than zero. The typical assumption is that there will be a normal distribution and that a random sample is collected for each of the populations. Another characteristic of comparing means of two or more groups is that when standard deviation is known or unknown and the population sample is large, then a z distribution (z-test) is used and in the case where it is unknown and the sample size is small, then a t distribution (t-test) is used. However, in the case where the experiment calls for a test of two or more dependent samples for one group or population, then a paired t-test is used to draw results (Lind, Marchal, & Wathen, 2011).
Calculate the Correlation Between Two Variables
When calculating the correlation between two variables, the objective is to see how one variable is influenced by another variable. The bivariate
Inferential statistics helps us to analyze predictions, inferences, or samples about a specific population from the observations that they make. “With inferential statistics, you are trying to reach conclusions that extend beyond the immediate data alone” (Trochim, 2006). The goal for this type of data is to review the sample data to be able to infer what the test group may think. It does this by making judgment of the chance that a difference that is observed between the groups is indeed one that can be counted on that could have otherwise happened by coincidence. In order to help solve the issue of generalization, tests of significance are used. For example, a chi-square test or T-test provides a person with the probability that the analysis’ sample results may or may not represent the respective population. In other words, the tests of significance provides us the likelihood of how the analysis results might have happened by chance in a scenario that a relationship may not exist between the variables in regards to the population that is being studied.
• Provide at least two examples or problem situations in which statistics was used or could be used.
3. According to the authors, what are the “three simple steps to doing Statistics right?” 4. What
Statistics, facts, data, and comparisons are absorbing and challenging to present in a way that is anything other than, well, boring. For purposes of an informational presentation, the statistics are unavoidable. However, in this
The t-test is a parametric analysis technique used to determine significant differences between the scores obtained from two groups. The t-test uses the standard deviation to estimate the standard error of the sampling distribution and examines the differences between the means of the two groups. Since the t-test is considered fairly easy to calculate, researchers often use it in determining differences between two groups. When interpreting the results of t-tests, the larger the calculated t ratio, in absolute value, the greater the difference between the two groups. The significance of a t ratio can be determined by comparison with the critical values in a
The last few weeks we covered descriptive statistic: the central tendency, variability, correlation and Z-score. Today’s session is a little bit different, we will be talking about statistical significance. Statistical significance is the level of risk one is willing to take to reject or accept a null hypothesis while it is true and it separate random error from systematic error. When doing a study or research, the statistical significance shows that the difference obtained were not caused by chance. Inferential statistics, the T-test, partition noise from bias by studying a random sample than the population in which we are interested and from the results we infer. The advantage of using sample than a population, it is convenient, saves time, energy and money because n is smaller than population and above all it helps to control systematic and random errors. When we are making a conclusion, we should have a certain confidence or probability of being right and that is called the alpha level; which the risk you are willing to
Over the course of my academic career, I have volunteered with Key Club at my school and other various places, such as the Poe Center for Health Education and WakeMed Health and Hospitals. Involvement with each organization has had a tremendous impact on my character. Often, while at the Poe Center, I had hours alone to create educational tools, file papers, and enter data into spreadsheets which taught me responsibility and integrity. I always strived for the best when I completed tasks at the Poe Center and at WakeMed. Each organization has been impacted through my volunteer services. With Key Club, we had monthly trips to the senior home. Each time I visited the senior home, the elder’s faces would light up because many of them did not have
Everyday, throughout the world, restaurants throw away large amounts of uneaten food. Public Health laws prevent them from re-serving or reusing this food, and, for similar reasons, they cannot simply give it away to hungry people. We opted to review this as our messy situation due to the impact that this has on people and the environment.
19) To find confidence intervals for the mean of a normal distribution, the t distribution is usually used in practical applications instead of the standard normal distribution because…A. the mean of the population is not knownB. the t distribution is more effectiveC. the variance of the population is usually not knownD. the sample size is not known
Source: G. C. Britz, D. W. Emerling, L. B. Hare, R. W. Hoerl, & J. E. Shade. "How to Teach Others to Apply Statistical Thinking." Quality Progress (June 1997): 67--80.
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
So while I never want to take a statistics course, and while statistics scientifically involves so many numbers and mathematical principles, I am now interested in seeing how statistics is different from what everyone has said. It is wonderful to think that everyone can be connected through these
This about how to work with groups and other team members, most of the time it is hard to do but with our jobs nowadays we have to do what we have to do. I like working with others for the most part, especially when they are motivated in getting the job done in a timely manner. Then we have some that just don’t want to help but want everybody else to do their work for them.
The procedure is efficient and more powerful compared to simple t-tests as it gives better results.
Merriam Webster dictionary defines statistics as “a branch of mathematics dealing with the collection, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of masses of numerical data”. With all of this information, it is not surprising that statistics is seen in nearly every persons everyday life. It is seen even in unexpected things- such as insurance rates, weather, political campaigns, large consumer based stores,sports and in medicine. Statistics is one of the most relevant branches of math because even if it does not appear to be in everyday life, it is.