Descriptive Statistics

Question 1

what are the two types of descriptive statistics

Answer 1

1. measures of central tendency
2. measures of dispersion

Question 2

what are the measures of central tendency

Answer 2

• mean
• mode
• median

Question 3

what are the measures of dispersion

Answer 3

• range
• Standard deviation

Question 4

Mode = what is it / EVAL

Answer 4

• most frequent
  + not distorted by outliers
  + avoids 0.111 etc.
• not always an exact average mode
• not inclusive of all data

Question 5

median = what it is / EVAL

Answer 5

• value in the middle when in order
  + not affected by outliers
  + easy
• not inclusive
• difficult when set of data is even - no middle

Question 6

mean = what it is / EVAL

Answer 6

• average
  + all data used
• easily distorted by outliers

Question 7

range = what it is / EVAL

Answer 7

• highest - lowest
  + easy
• extreme scores distort
• scores could be clustered around mean

Question 8

standard deviation = what it is / EVAL

Answer 8

• calculation using all data lower SD = more clustered data
  + inc all data / shows range
• outliers distort
• SD difficult to calc