What if statistics




















These corresponding values in the population are called parameters. Imagine, for example, that a researcher measures the number of depressive symptoms exhibited by each of 50 clinically depressed adults and computes the mean number of symptoms. The researcher probably wants to use this sample statistic the mean number of symptoms for the sample to draw conclusions about the corresponding population parameter the mean number of symptoms for clinically depressed adults.

Unfortunately, sample statistics are not perfect estimates of their corresponding population parameters. This is because there is a certain amount of random variability in any statistic from sample to sample. The mean number of depressive symptoms might be 8. This random variability in a statistic from sample to sample is called sampling error. Note that the term error here refers to random variability and does not imply that anyone has made a mistake. One implication of this is that when there is a statistical relationship in a sample, it is not always clear that there is a statistical relationship in the population.

A small difference between two group means in a sample might indicate that there is a small difference between the two group means in the population. But it could also be that there is no difference between the means in the population and that the difference in the sample is just a matter of sampling error.

But it could also be that there is no relationship in the population and that the relationship in the sample is just a matter of sampling error. The purpose of null hypothesis testing is simply to help researchers decide between these two interpretations. Null hypothesis testing is a formal approach to deciding between two interpretations of a statistical relationship in a sample.

This is the idea that there is no relationship in the population and that the relationship in the sample reflects only sampling error. This is the idea that there is a relationship in the population and that the relationship in the sample reflects this relationship in the population.

Again, every statistical relationship in a sample can be interpreted in either of these two ways: It might have occurred by chance, or it might reflect a relationship in the population. So researchers need a way to decide between them. Although there are many specific null hypothesis testing techniques, they are all based on the same general logic. The steps are as follows:. Following this logic, we can begin to understand why Mehl and his colleagues concluded that there is no difference in talkativeness between women and men in the population.

Therefore, they retained the null hypothesis—concluding that there is no evidence of a sex difference in the population. We can also see why Kanner and his colleagues concluded that there is a correlation between hassles and symptoms in the population. Therefore, they rejected the null hypothesis in favour of the alternative hypothesis—concluding that there is a positive correlation between these variables in the population.

A crucial step in null hypothesis testing is finding the likelihood of the sample result if the null hypothesis were true. This probability is called the p value. A low p value means that the sample result would be unlikely if the null hypothesis were true and leads to the rejection of the null hypothesis. In developing methods and studying the theory that underlies the methods statisticians draw on a variety of mathematical and computational tools.

Two fundamental ideas in the field of statistics are uncertainty and variation. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data.

Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile.

Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Statistical significance refers to the claim that a result from data generated by testing or experimentation is not likely to occur randomly or by chance but is instead likely to be attributable to a specific cause.

Having statistical significance is important for academic disciplines or practitioners that rely heavily on analyzing data and research, such as economics, finance , investing , medicine, physics, and biology. Statistical significance can be considered strong or weak. When analyzing a data set and doing the necessary tests to discern whether one or more variables have an effect on an outcome, strong statistical significance helps support the fact that the results are real and not caused by luck or chance.

Simply stated, if a p-value is small then the result is considered more reliable. Problems arise in tests of statistical significance because researchers are usually working with samples of larger populations and not the populations themselves. As a result, the samples must be representative of the population, so the data contained in the sample must not be biased in any way.

The calculation of statistical significance significance testing is subject to a certain degree of error. The researcher must define in advance the probability of a sampling error , which exists in any test that does not include the entire population. Sample size is an important component of statistical significance in that larger samples are less prone to flukes. A Data Table works with only one or two variables, but it can accept many different values for those variables.

A Scenario can have multiple variables, but it can only accommodate up to 32 values. Goal Seek works differently from Scenarios and Data Tables in that it takes a result and determines possible input values that produce that result. In addition to these three tools, you can install add-ins that help you perform What-If Analysis, such as the Solver add-in. The Solver add-in is similar to Goal Seek, but it can accommodate more variables.

You can also create forecasts by using the fill handle and various commands that are built into Excel. For more advanced models, you can use the Analysis ToolPak add-in. A Scenario is a set of values that Excel saves and can substitute automatically in cells on a worksheet. You can create and save different groups of values on a worksheet and then switch to any of these new scenarios to view different results.

For example, suppose you have two budget scenarios: a worst case and a best case. You can use the Scenario Manager to create both scenarios on the same worksheet, and then switch between them.

For each scenario, you specify the cells that change and the values to use for that scenario. When you switch between scenarios, the result cell changes to reflect the different changing cell values.

If several people have specific information in separate workbooks that you want to use in scenarios, you can collect those workbooks and merge their scenarios. After you have created or gathered all the scenarios that you need, you can create a Scenario Summary Report that incorporates information from those scenarios.

A scenario report displays all the scenario information in one table on a new worksheet. Note: Scenario reports are not automatically recalculated. If you change the values of a scenario, those changes will not show up in an existing summary report.

Instead, you must create a new summary report. If you know the result that you want from a formula, but you're not sure what input value the formula requires to get that result, you can use the Goal Seek feature.

For example, suppose that you need to borrow some money. You know how much money you want, how long a period you want in which to pay off the loan, and how much you can afford to pay each month. You can use Goal Seek to determine what interest rate you must secure in order to meet your loan goal.



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