Answers to Assignment 1

Measurement, Statistics and Research

1. Measurement is the process of comparing to a standard. This process produces data, which are
disorganised. The data are organised, treated, and presented for evaluation through a procedure
called statistics. Evaluation determines the worth or value of the data.
2. A variable is a characteristic of a person or object that can assume more than one value. If a
characteristic can assume only one value, it is a constant. Independent variables are unrelated to
each other (e.g., height and intelligence), whereas dependent variables are related to each other
(e.g., body fat and weight).
3. Nominal: Places values into mutually exclusive categories, such as male or female, without
qualitative value differences.
Ordinal: Ordered values such as tallest, next tallest, to shortest.
Interval: Values on a scale where there is the possibility of negative scores, such as
temperature scales or judges’ scores.
Ratio: Values on a scale where there is no possibility of negative scores, such as time
(races), distance (height), force (weight), or counting events (heart rate).
4. Statistical inference means to infer characteristics of a population based on a sample taken from
that population. A sample is a certain portion or fraction of the population, which is any group
of persons, places, or things that have at least one characteristic in common. The sample must
be random, meaning everyone or everything in the population must have an equal chance of
being selected in the sample. If there are subgroups in the population that are of interest, each
subgroup should be sampled so that the total sample has the same representation of subgroups as
the population; this process is called stratified random sampling.
5. A parameter is a characteristic of a population, whereas a statistic is a characteristic of a sample
taken from a population. Statistics are used to estimate parameters.
6. A theory is a belief about a concept or series of concepts. It is neither right nor wrong when it is
conceived, it is just an opinion. However, theories produce hypotheses, which can be tested.
When a hypothesis is tested and found to be true, it supports the theory. For example, suppose
you believed that distributed practice was better than massed practice for learning to the theory
is that a group of players who shot 100 free throws in a row during practice would have a lower
free throw percentage in the games than a group who shot 100 free throws, 10 at a time with a 5-
minute break between each set of 10 shots. If the massed group has a lower percentage in games
than the distributed group, the hypothesis is true and the theory is credible.
7.

Organising and Displaying Data

1. G = 15.9, L + 9.1, R = 15.9 – 9.1 = 6.8

2. I = 6.8/15 = .453; I is rounded to .5
3.
X f Cum.f

15.5-15.9 1 72
15.0-15.4 2 71
14.5-14.9 3 69
14.0-14.4 2 66
13.5-13-9 4 64
13.0-13.4 8 60
12.5-12.9 12 52
12.0-12.4 10 40
11.5-11.9 11 30
11.0-11.4 5 19
 10.5-10.9 5 14
10.0-10.4 5 9
9.5-9.9 2 4
9.0-9.4 2 2

N = 72
4. Real limits of groups 12.0 – 12,4 are 11.95 – 12.449 …
5. Histogram:

6. Frequency polygon:

The data appear to be reasonably normal.

7. With more cases, the curve would probably smooth out and approach a more normal shape.
8. Cumulative frequency curve:

Percentiles

1. (a) 4/11 x 100 = 36.4%. (b) 8/11100 = 72.7%.

2. (a) .47 x 70 = 32.9 from bottom – score is 10. (b) .80 x 70 = 56 from bottom – score is 13.
3. (a) 13.9%. (b) 30%. (c) 74.6%.
4. (a) 37 sit-ups. (b) 46 sit-ups. (c) 55 sit-ups.

Measures of Central Tendency

1. (a) Mean = 9.1. (b) Mean = 12.1.

 Measures of Variability

1. 4.3
2. 4.6
3. (4.3)2 = 18.49.
4. N = 49; fX2 = 28,796; SD = 1.97.

The normal curve and sampling error

1. 13.68.
2. (a) -.79. (b) .62. (c) -.23. All are within 1SD of the mean; (a) and (c) are below, and (b) is
above.
3. (a) 21.48%. (b) 73.24%. (c) 40.90%.
4. (a) 42.1. (b) 73.24. (c) 47.7.
5. (a) 3. (b) 6. (c) 47.7.
6. (a) 3.57. (b) .20. (13.01. As SD increases, SEM increases. As N increases, SEM decreases.
7. SEM = .79;  = 38.5 ± 1.96 (.79);  = 38.5 ± 1.55, p = 0.5. This could be written as 36.95   
40.05.