MA2 Applied Linguistics 2016

Quantitative methods

Mohamed Jabeur

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 Lecture Three

Describing variability

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 Outline
Introduction
1. Variables & data
2. Types of data
3. Types of variables
4. Measurements
5. Graphs for categorical data
6. Graphs for quantitative data
Conclusion
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 1. Variables & data
1.1 Variable
‘A variable is a characteristic that
changes or varies over time
and/or for different individuals or
objects under consideration.’

Mendenhall, Beaver & Beaver (2003)

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 1.2 Variants

A variable is made up of at least

two variants

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1.3 Experimental unit
‘The individual or object on which a
variable is measured. A single
measurement or data value results
when a variable is actually measured
on an experimental unit.’

Mendenhall, Beaver & Beaver (2003)

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 1.4 Population & sample

• ‘The set of all measurements of

interest to the investigator’

• Sample as ‘a subset of
measurements selected from the
population of interest’. 7
 2. Types of data
Univariate data: a single variable measured on a
single experimental unit

Bivariate data: Two variables

Multivariate data: More than two variables

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 Student Grade Major Gender
average
1 10 Linguistics Male
2 11 Psychology Female
3 15 Literature Female
4 10 Philosophy Male
5 17 Physics Female
6 5 Biology Male
7 6 Engineering Male

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 3. Types of variables
Qualitative variables: measurement of a quality
or characteristic on each experimental unit
Gender, Specialty…
Quantitative variables: measurement of a
numerical quantity or amount on each
experimental unit.
Weight, volume, number, rate …

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Independent variables
Vs.
Dependent variables

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Discrete vs. Continuous vrs.

Discrete variable
Finite or countable number of values

Continuous variable
Infinite values corresponding to points
on the line interval
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4. Measurements
Frequency

Relative frequency

Percentage
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Relative frequency:
Frequency
---------------
n

Percent:
100 x Relative frequency

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5. Graphs for categorical data

Pie charts

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4 Série 1
Série 2
3 Série 3

0
Catégorie 1 Catégorie 2 Catégorie 3 Catégorie 4

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6. Graphs for quantitative data

Pie charts
Bar charts
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Line charts

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 Dotplots
Scattergrams
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