Importance of Statistics in Psychology 

Statistics allows us to draw conclusions from a set of data and is often called the
“Science of Data.” It can also help people in every industry answer their research or
business questions, and can help predict outcomes, such as what show you might want
to watch next on your favorite video app. For social scientists like psychologists,
statistics is a tool that helps us analyze data and answer our research questions.

Population: ↑ An identified group of individuals that scientists want to answer questions

about.

Variable: ↑ A factor, trait, or condition that exists in different amounts or types that is
measured in research.

Random Sampling: ↑ A way of selecting individuals from a population that ensures that
every individual has an equal probability of being selected.

Point Estimate: ↑ An estimate of some value in a population, such as an average.

Confidence Intervals: ↑ A range of values around point estimates that likely contain the
true value of a variable in the population.

Margin of Error: ↑ A calculated amount added and subtracted to a point estimate,

which is taken into account for miscalculation or errors.

Standard Deviation: ↑ The average distance between each data point and the total
average.

Effect Size: ↑ Tells us how much difference there is between averages of variables.

The Importance of Statistics in Psychology

Statistics is the branch of mathematics which deals with the organization, analysis and
interpretation of a group of numbers. Use of statistics in Psychology is essential for
conducting any research. The term Statistics is derived from a Latin word “Status” which
means government or a state. Initially statistics were used by the states to collect data
about their public including population, income, and to impose taxation etc. Statistics is
essential for research in social sciences because it consists of various techniques to
organize, summarize, and interpret the data. In simple words, statistics enables us to
get information from the data. According to Agresti and Finlay (1997) statistics is a
methodology used by a researcher to collect, interpret and draw conclusions from a
collected data.
Statistics allow us to make sense of and interpret a great deal of information. Consider
the sheer volume of data you encounter in a given day. How many hours did you sleep?
How many students in your class ate breakfast this morning? How many people live
within a one-mile radius of your home? By using statistics, we can organize and
interpret all of this information in a meaningful way.
In psychology, we are also confronted with enormous amounts of data. How do
changes in one variable impact other variables? Is there a way we can measure that
relationship? What is the overall strength of that relationship and what does that mean?
Statistics allow us to answer these kinds of questions. Statistics allow psychologists to:

 Organize data: When dealing with an enormous amount of information, it is all

too easy to become overwhelmed. Statistics allow psychologists to present data
in ways that are easier to comprehend. Visual displays such as graphs, pie
charts, frequency distributions, and scatter plots allow researchers to get a better
overview of data and look for patterns they might otherwise miss.
 Describe data: Think about what happens when researchers collect a great deal
of information about a group of people (for example, the U.S. Census).
Descriptive statistics provide a way to summarize facts, such as how many men
and women there are, how many children there are, or how many people are
currently employed.
 Make inferences based on data: By using what's known as inferential statistics,
researchers can infer things about a given sample or population. Psychologists
use the data they have collected to test a hypothesis. Using statistical analysis,
researchers can determine the likelihood that a hypothesis should be either
accepted or rejected. 1

How statistics help a Researcher:

Statistics is essential for conducting research in the field of psychology and social
sciences. It helps the researcher in various ways as follows

 The most important part of a study is to select a sample size which represents
the population of the study, statistics is used to determine the size of the
sample.
 What kind of data is required for the study
 Which techniques will be used to analyze the data
 How to draw conclusion from the analyzed data
 What is the significance of the findings of the study and how much uncertainty
is there in the findings?

In this way statistics enables a researcher to design, describe, analyze and make
inferences from his research
Having a solid understanding of statistical methods can help you excel in almost all
other classes. Whether you are taking social psychology or human sexuality, you will be
spending a great deal of time learning about research. Your foundation of statistical
knowledge will allow you to make better sense of the research you'll find described in
your other psychology courses.
Secondly, think about all the claims about psychology that you encounter on a daily
basis outside of class. Magazines publish stories about the latest scientific findings, self-
help books make proclamations about different ways to approach problems, and news
reports interpret (or misinterpret) psychology research. 2

By understanding the research process, including the kinds of statistical analyses that
are used, you will be able to become a wise consumer of psychology information and
make better judgments of the information you come across. By understanding statistics,
you can make better decisions about your health and well-being. 3

Frequencies and Distributions

Normal Distribution (Bell Curve)
Z-Scores (Definition, Calculation and Interpretation)
Z-Score Table (How to Use)
Sampling Distributions
Central Limit Theorem
Kurtosis
Binomial Distribution
Uniform Distribution
Poisson Distribution
Statistical Significance
Hypothesis Testing
What a p-value Tells You About Statistical Significance
Type I Errors; Type II Errors
Effect Size
Standard Error
Multicollinearity
Statistical Tests
Chi Square Test
ANOVA (Analysis Of Variance): Definition, Types, & Examples
Multicollinearity
R-Squared
Describing the Data
Confidence Intervals
Box Plot (Box and Whisker Plot)
Histograms and Stem-and-Leaf Plots
Frequency Tables
Standard Deviation
Levels of Measurement
Mean, Median, and Mode

Sujatha Chintakunta

M.Sc Psychology, MA-HRM, B.Ed (OCT)

Email -  chintakuntasujatha@gmail.com