MODULE 1: BASIC CONCEPTS OF

STATISTICS

OUTLINE

* Development of Statistics
* Importance of Statistics
* Kinds of Statistics
* Types of statistics
* Method of Selecting Samples

OBJECTIVES

At the end of this module, you will be able to:

● Gain knowledge on the development of Statistics
● Understand some important terms commonly used in
Statistics
● Identify Statistics and its important
● Explain the two major kinds of Statistics, descriptive and
inferential
● Distinguish between qualitative and quantitative variables,
discrete and continuous variables
● Understand the four levels of measurement scale; and
● Learn the methods of selecting samples

OVERVIEW

Statistics being the branch is often associated with

anxiety and unease particularly among students who fear
mathematics for one reason. Well if you are one of those
students then sit back and relax and read this module as it will
take you through a journey in which you will discover a world of fun,
excitement, vision and creativity. With minimum mathematical
details, introduce key concepts and universal terms that are used
among statisticians and briefly discuss common statistical tools,
their underlying principles and their practical merits.
 LESSON PROPER:

Assessment: In your own words, answer briefly the

following thoughts/questions:

1. What do you know about the word Statistics?

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2. What comes to your mind when you hear the word
Statistics?
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3. Can Statistics be used in your daily routine?

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 We all apply Statistics in our everyday living, We
encounter them in newspapers, magazines, televisions and
radios. We meet them when we discuss the cost of living,
unemployment, medical breakthroughs, weather predictions,
sports, politics and lottery. Although we are not aware of it,
each of us is an informal statistician. We are constantly
gathering, organizing and analyzing data and use this to
make decisions that will dictate our actions.

Development of Statistics

The word “statistics” was derived from the latin word

“status” meaning state. Historically, statistics developed
gradually as society has become interested in collecting data
for a variety of applications.

Statistics we define as the branch of mathematics

concerned with collection, classification, analysis and
interpretation of numerical data with a defined purpose in
any field of the study.

Importance of Statistics

Statistics is in important on the following areas:

1. Politics
2. Market research
3. Medicine
4. Engineering
5. Economy
6. Education

Kinds of Statistics

1. Descriptive Statistics- as methods for organizing,

summarizing and presenting data in an instructive way.
2. Inferential Statistics are those methods that use a
sample of the population techniques for analysis of data
and testing the reliability of the estimates

Types of Data

1. Primary Data are information collected from

an original source of data, which is first hand in nature.
 2. Secondary Data are information collected from
published and unpublished sources and the like.

Types of variable

1. Qualitative are those that are considered non

numeric by nature

2. Quantitative are variable that can expressed

numerically

Types of Qualitative Variables

1. Discrete Variable are variable whose value

is obtained by counting

2. Continuous Variable are variable whose value is

obtained by measuring

Four Levels of Measurement Scales

1. Nominal Scale
- at this level, numbers are assigned to identify and
classify individuals. The only measurement to be used
is counting.
2. Ordinal scale
- in this scale, the individuals or objects are arranged in
rank and order
3. Interval Scale3
- it is used to obtain a more precise measurement by
finding the difference between values such as addition
and subtraction.
4. Ratio Scale
- This is the most powerful level of measurement. The
data are compared by multiplication and numbers.
Zero point is very important as well as the ratio
between two numbers.