Chapter 1

Page 2

Math Anxiety

• Do not flip through the text• Familiarize yourself with the index & glossary• Forget past math failures…statistics is different!• Yerkes-Dodson Law: Some anxiety is helpful• Over-prepare for tests to reduce test anxiety• Use your resources! • Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: think positive• Work with a partner! Icebreaker activity

Page 3

Uses of Statistics

Statistics: branch of mathematics that focuses on the organization, analysis & interpretation of a group of numbers.

Uses: -read the work of other psychologists -do your own research -hone your reasoning & intuition

Page 4

Misuses of Statistics

Using Correlations to infer causation

Incorrect Interpretation of Data

Page 5

Calculator Use

Page 6

Descriptive vs. Inferential Statistics

• Descriptive statistics Summarize/organize scores from a research study Abbreviates data that we have Includes percentage, range, mean, mode, median, standard deviation and variance EX: What’s the average age of students in this class? Ask each student & average

• Inferential statistics Draw conclusions/make inferences that go beyond the scores from a research study

-allows statisticians to generalize from a sample to a population Uses a small amount of data to infer characteristics about a larger group EX: What’s the average age of students at SBVC? Ask this class & then infer about SBVC RISKY! Especially if the sample is not representative of the population However, predictions are made with better than chance accuracy & limitations are known

Page 7

Samples & Populations

Population: the entire group of people or animals in which the researcher is interested in

Sample: a smaller number of observations taken from the total number making up the population

Page 8

Inferential statistics is the technique of

predicting unknown

parameters (of a population) on the

basis of known statistics (from a

sample).

Statistics & Parameters

Parameter: any measure obtained by having measured an entire population

Statistic: any measure obtained by having measured a sample