Term

Definition

Alpha

Term

"level of risk or significance"; the probability of

rejecting the null hypothesis when it is true; the
probability of making a Type 1 error
Definition

Bar Chart

Term

a graph in which the classes are reported on the

horizontal axis and the class frequencies on the
vertical axis. The class frequencies are
proportional to the heights of the bars
Definition

Central Limit Theorem

Term

if all samples of a particular size are selected from

any population, the sampling distribution of the
sample mean is approximately a normal
distribution. This approximation improves with
larger samples.
Definition

Cluster Sample

Term

a population is divided into clusters using

naturally occurring geographic or other
boundaries. Then, clusters are randomly selected
and a sample is collected by randomly selecting
from each other.
Definition

Alternate Hypothesis

Term

a statement that is accepted if the sample data

provide sufficient evidence that the null
hypothesis is false
Definition

Beta
Term

the probability of committing a Type II error

Definition

Chebyshev's Theorem

For any set of observations (sample or

population), the proportion of the values that lie
within k standard deviations of the mean is at
least 1- 1/k^2, where k is any constant greater
than 1.

Term

Definition

Coefficient of Correlation

Term

a measure of the strength of the linear

relationship between two variables.
Definition

Coefficient of Determination

Term

the proportion of the total variation in the

dependent variable Y that is explained, or
accounted for, by the variation in the independent
variable X.
Definition

Collectively Exhaustive

Term

at least one of the events must occur when an

experiment is conducted.
Definition

Conditional Probability

Term

the probability of a particular event occurring,

given that another event has occurred.
Definition

Confidence Interval

Term

a range of values constructed from sample data so

that the population parameter is likely to occur
within that range at a specified probability. The
specified probability is called the level of
confidence.
Definition

Contingency Table

Term

a table used to classify sample observations

according to two or more identifiable
characteristics.
Definition

Correlation Analysis

Term

a group of techniques to measure the association

between two variables.
Definition

Critical Value

the dividing point between the region where the

null hypothesis is rejected and the region where it

is not rejected.
Term

Definition

Dependent Variable

Term

Definition

Descriptive Statistics

Term

methods of organizing, summarizing, and

presenting data in an informative way.
Definition

Discrete Random Variable

Term

a random variable that can assume only certain

clearly separated values.
Definition

Empirical Probability

Term

the probability of an event happening is the

fraction of the time similar events happened in
the past.
Definition

Empirical Rule

Term

for a symmetrical, bell-shaped frequency

distribution, approximately 68% of the
observations will lie within plus and minus one
standard deviation of the mean; about 95% of the
observations will lie within plus and minus two
standard deviations of the mean; and practically
all (99.7%) will lie within plus and minus three
standard deviations of the mean.
Definition

Event

Term

a collection of one or more outcomes of an

experiment.
Definition

Experiment

Term

the variable that is being predicted or estimated.

It is scaled on the Y-axis.

a process that leads to the occurrence of one and

only one of several possible observations.
Definition

Frequency Distribution

Term

Definition

Frequency Table

Term

a grouping of qualitative data into mutually

exclusive classes showing the number of
observations in each class.
Definition

Histogram

Term

a graph in which the classes are marked on the

horizontal axis and the class frequencies on the
vertical axis. The class frequencies are
represented by the heights of the bars and the
bars are drawn adjacent to each other.
Definition

Hypothesis

Term

a statement about a population parameter subject

to verification.
Definition

Hypothesis Testing

Term

a procedure based on sample evidence and

probability theory to determine whether the
hypothesis is a reasonable statement.
Definition

Independence

Term

the occurrence of one event has no effect on the

probability of the occurrence of another event.
Definition

Independent Variable

Term

the variable that provides the basis for estimation.

It is the predictor variable. It is scaled on the Xaxis.
Definition

Inferential Statistics

Term

a grouping of data into mutually exclusive classes

showing the number of observations in each class.

the methods used to estimate a property of a

population on the basis of a sample.
Definition

Joint Probability

Term

Definition

Law of Large Numbers

Term

over a large number of trials the empirical

probability of an event will approach its true
probability.
Definition

Least Squares Principle

Term

determining a regression equation by minimizing

the sum of the squares of the vertical distances
between the actual Y values and the predicted
values of Y
Definition

Level of Significance

Term

the probability of rejecting the null hypothesis

when it is true
Definition

Median

Term

the midpoint of the values after they have been

ordered from the smallest to the largest, or the
largest to the smallest
Definition

Mean Deviation

Term

the arithmetic mean of the absolute values of the

deviations from the arithmetic mean
Definition

Mode

Term

the value of the observation that appears most

frequently
Definition

Multiplication Formula

Term

a probability that measures the likelihood two or

more events will happen concurrently.

if there are m ways of doing one thing and n ways

of doing another thing, there are m x n ways of
doing both.
Definition

Mutually Exclusive

Term

the occurrence of one event means that none of

the other events can occur at the same time
Definition

Null Hypothesis

Term

a statement about the value of a population

parameter developed for the purpose of testing
numerical evidence
Definition

Outcome
Term

a particular result of an experiment

Definition

Parameter
Term

a characteristic of a population
Definition

Permutation

Term

any arrangement of r objects selected from a

single group of n possible objects
Definition

Pie Chart

Term

a chart that shows the proportion or percent that

each class represents of the total number of
frequencies
Definition

Point Estimate

Term

the statistic, computed from sample information,

which is used to estimate the population
parameter
Definition

Population

Term

the entire set of individuals or objects of interest

or the measurements obtained from all
individuals or objects of interest
Definition

Probability

a value between zero and one, inclusive,

describing the relative possibility (chance or
likelihood) an event will occur

Term

Definition

Probability Distribution

Term

a listing of all the outcomes of an experiment and

the probability associated with each outcome
Definition

Proportion

Term

the fraction, ratio, or percent indicating the part

of the sample or the population having a
particular trait of interest
Definition

p-Value

Term

the probability of observing a sample value as

extreme as, or more extreme than, the value
observed, given that the null hypothesis is true
Definition

Random Variable

Term

a quantity resulting from an experiment that, by

chance, can assume different values
Definition

Random Variation

Term

the sum of the squared differences between each

observation and its treatment mean
Definition

Range
Term

Largest value - smallest value

Definition

Regression Equation

Term

an equation that expresses the linear relationship

between two variables
Definition

Sample
Term

a portion, or part, of the population of interest

Definition

Sampling Error

the difference between a sample statistic and its

corresponding population oarameter

Term

Definition

Sampling Distribution of Sample Mean

Term

a probability distribution of all possible sample

means of a given sample size
Definition

Simple Random Sample

Term

a sample selected so that each item or person in

the population has the same chance of being
included
Definition

Standard Deviation
Term

the square root of the variance

Definition

Standard Error of Estimate

Term

a measure of the dispersion, or scatter, of the

observed values around the line of regression
Definition

Statistic
Term

a characteristic of a sample
Definition

Statistics

Term

the science of collecting, organizing, presenting,

analyzing, and interpreting data to assist in
making more effective decisions
Definition

Stratified Random Sample

Term

a population is divided into subgroups, called

strata, and a sample is randomly selected from
each stratum
Definition

Subjective Concept of Probability

Term

the likelihood (probability) of a particular event

happening that is assigned by an individual based
on whatever information is available
Definition

Systematic Random Sample

a random starting point is selected, and then

every kth member of the population is selected

Term

Definition

Test Statistic

Term

a value, determined from sample information,

used to determine whether to reject the null
hypothesis
Definition

Total Variation

Term

the sum of the squared differences between each

observation and the overall mean
Definition

Treatment Variation

Term

the sum of the squared differences between each

treatment mean and the grand or overall mean
Definition

Type I Error
Term

rejecting the null hypothesis when it is true

Definition

Type II Error
Term

accepting the null hypothesis when it is false

Definition

Variance

Term

the arithmetic mean of the squared deviations

from the mean
Definition

Z Value

the signed distance between a selected value,

designated X, and the mean, divided by the
standard deviation