Data and Sampling

A. BAKSH
What is Statistics?
1. Statistics is the science of designing
studies or experiments, collecting
data and modeling/analyzing data
for the purpose of decision making
and scientific discovery when the
available information is both
limited and variable.
What is Statistics?
2. Statistics is the study of
how best to collect,
analyze and draw
conclusion from data.
Some Applications of
Statistics
Reducing the Threat of
Acid Rain to our
Environment
Use and Interpretation of
Scientific Data in Courts
Estimating Bowhead
Whale Population Size
Population vs Sample
Population vs Sample
Population vs Sample- An Example
 A researcher may be interested in the
relation between class size (variable 1) and
academic performance (variable 2) for
second form students at President’s
College.
 Population: All second form students at
President’s College
Sample: 25 second form students at
President’s College
Population vs Sample Question 1
Population vs Sample Question 2
Population vs Sample Question 3
Population vs Sample Question 4
Population vs Sample Question 5
Population vs Sample Question 6
Population vs Sample Question 7
Population vs Sample Question 8
Parameter vs Statistic Questions
A statistical study is presented for the
questions below. Identify both the
parameter and statistic for each study.
1. A researcher wants to estimate the
average height of women aged 20 years
or older. From a simple random sample
of 45 women, the researcher obtains a
sample mean height of 63.9 inches.
Parameter vs Statistic Questions
A statistical study is presented for the
questions below. Identify both the
parameter and statistic for each study.
1. A researcher wants to estimate the
average height of women aged 20 years
or older. From a simple random sample
of 45 women, the researcher obtains a
sample mean height of 63.9 inches.
Parameter vs Statistic Questions
2. A sociologist wants to the proportion of
adults with children under the age of 18
that eat dinner together 7 nights a
week. A simple random sample of 1122
adults with children under the age of 18
was obtained, and 337 of those adults
reported eating dinner together with
their families 7 nights a week.
Parameter vs Statistic Questions
3. An energy official wants to estimate the
average oil output per well in the
United States. From a random sample of
50 wells throughout the United States,
the official obtains a sample mean of
10.7 barrels per day.
Parameter vs Statistic Questions
4. A nutritionist wants to estimate the
mean amount of sodium consumed by
children under the age of 10. From a
random sample of 75 children under the
age of 10, the nutritionist obtains a
sample mean of 2993 milligrams of
sodium consumed.
Parameter vs Statistic Questions
5. Nexium is a drug that can be used to
reduce the acid produced by the body and
heal damage to the esophagus. A
researcher wants to estimate the
proportion of patients taking Nexium that
are healed within 8 weeks. A random
sample of 224 patients suffering from acid
reflux disease is obtained, and 213 of those
patients were healed after 8 weeks.
Sources of Sampling Bias
A retail store considering updates to their current
credit card policies randomly samples 1000 credit card
holders to survey on the phone. The phone calls are
made during business hours therefore there will be a
lower rate of response from members who work during
these hours. What type of bias is this indicative of?
A. Convenience sample
B. Voluntary response
C. Non-response
Additional Questions
 Selecting the proper diet for shrimp or other sea animals is an
important aspect of sea farming. A researcher wishes to estimate
the mean weight of shrimp maintained on a specific diet for a
period of 6 months. One hundred shrimp are randomly selected
from an artificial pond and each is weighed.
a. Identify the population of measurements that is of interest to the
researcher.
b. Identify the sample.
c. What characteristics of the population are of interest to the
researcher?
d. If the sample measurements are used to make inferences about
certain characteristics of the population, why is a measure of the
reliability of the inferences important?
 Radioactive waste disposal as well as the production of radioactive
material in some mining operations are creating a serious pollution
problem in some areas of the United States. State health officials have
decided to investigate the radioactivity levels in one suspect area.
Two hundred points in the area are randomly selected and the level of
radioactivity is measured at each point.
a. Identify the population of measurements that is of interest to the
researcher.
b. Identify the sample.
c. What characteristics of the population are of interest to the
researcher?
d. If the sample measurements are used to make inferences about
certain characteristics of the population, why is a measure of the
reliability of the inferences important?