7: Statistics
- Page ID
- 113175
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Statistics are often presented in an effort to add credibility to an argument or advice. You can see this by paying attention to television advertisements. Many of the numbers thrown about in this way do not represent careful statistical analysis. They can be misleading, and push you into decisions that you might find cause to regret. These chapters will help you learn statistical essentials. It will make you into an intelligent consumer of statistical claims.
- 7.1: Basic Concepts of Statistics
- Before we begin gathering and analyzing data we need to characterize the population we are studying.
- 7.2: Sampling Methods
- The first thing we should do before conducting a survey is to identify the population that we want to study.
- 7.3: Sources of Bias
- There are number of ways that a study can be ruined before you even start collecting data. The first we have already explored – sampling or selection bias, which is when the sample is not representative of the population. One example of this is voluntary response bias, which is bias introduced by only collecting data from those who volunteer to participate. This is not the only potential source of bias.
- 7.4: Experiments
- So far, we have primarily discussed observational studies – studies in which conclusions would be drawn from observations of a sample or the population. In contrast, it is common to use experiments when exploring how subjects react to an outside influence. In an experiment, some kind of treatment is applied to the subjects and the results are measured and recorded.