Tutorial 1 SSF1093 Introduction to Statistics

1. In lecture, we always remind you that it is important that you understand the difference
between data types, the type of data affects how it can be reasonably analysed.
Based on the statements below, identify the type of data (categorical or quantitative) and the
appropriate average you would use.
Statement

Type of data

CLT (mean,
median, mode)

We have the body weight of eight people and want to

find an average, but one person has a recorded weight
considerably larger than any other, it could even be a
typing error.
We have 250 heights of female clients and want to give
an idea of the average height.
A researcher collects the type of housing that a sample of
clients live in, single room, flat, terrace, detached house,
what type of average can we use to talk about the typical
type of housing for the sample of clients?
Students are asked to rate the taste of a new recipe of bun
as like/dislike/don't know, what type of data have we
collected and what average might you use?

2. Of the following statements which would best be displayed in a Histogram or Bar Chart?
Histogram or bar?
The number of students in the age groups 18-27, 28-37, 38-47 etc.
The number of people living in each of three towns.
The number of patients visiting an Optician with short sight, long sight and
no sight defect.
The marks of each individual student in a class
The number of students in each range of marks in 10% intervals.
The number of men vs. women in a town.

3.

A scientist is conducting an experiment to determine the relationship between consumption of a

certain type of food and high-blood pressure. He conducts a random sample on 2,000 people and
first asks them a yes or no question: Do you eat this type of food more than once a week? He
also takes the blood pressure of each person and records it (example: 120/80). Which one of the
following statements is true?
a. The blood-pressure data is quantitative data.
b. The data regarding whether each person eats the food regularly is quantitative data.
c. The population is all U.S. males.
d. The data collected is time-series data.

4.

As part of a study on worker productivity, you ask three employees (John, Mary, and Chris) at the
end of a particular work week to estimate how long, in minutes, their morning coffee breaks were
on each day of that week. Which one of the following lists describes the elements, or members, of
the sample?
a. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
b. 14.5 minutes
c. 15 minutes, 12 minutes, 11 minutes, 14 minutes, 16 minutes
d. John, Mary, Chris

5.

A research team conducts an experiment on an automotive plant to determine the effect of

production demands on stress levels. Which one of the following describes the drawing of a random
sample of all paid employees of the plant?
a. The team selects names at random from the payroll for the sample.
b. The team selects for the sample the first 20 employees who enter the building after 8:00 a. m..
c. The team selects for the sample all machine operators.
d. The team puts the names of all employees with more than 6 months experience at their present
job into a hat and draws 20 names at random from the hat for the sample.

6.

Which one of the following is an example of qualitative data?

a. total quarterly revenue
b. average graduation rate for athletes
c. number of visitors to theme parks last year
d. For major colleges and universities, we record whether or not their enrollment increased from
last year to this year.

7.

Which one of the following is an example of cross-section data?

a. daily checking account balance last year
b. total insect population among 12 U.S. national parks in 2003
c. consumption (in pounds) of pork products in the U.S. from 1983 to 2003
d. total value of U.S. Savings Bonds each year from 1994 to 2004

8.

For each of the following variables, identify whether the variable is

categorical or quantitative and the level of its measurement.
i.
Score on the final exam for Ethnic Relationship course.
ii.
Grade for the final exam for Ethnic relationship course.

iii.
iv.
v.
vi.

Number of text messages a person receives in a day.

Student rating on a teachers teaching method based on a 3-point scale
where 1=good; 2=average and 3=poor.
Opinion about the automatic enforcement system (favour versus oppose)
The monthly food expenditure of household in Kuching.

9. Dr John conducted a study on undergraduate students who do a part-time job

on campus. She randomly interviewed 100 first year students. They were
asked:
i.
How many hours are you scheduled to work each week? Answer to the
nearest hours.
ii.
How applicable is this work experience to your future employment goals?
Respond using the following scale: 1=not at all; 2=somehow and 3=very
a. What is the variable of interest for questions (i) and (ii)? Classify the variables
as qualitative or quantitative. Identify the level of measurement for each
variable.
b. Assuming 30% of the interviewed students stated that the work experience
gained from this job is very relevant to their future employment. Is the
reported percentage a parameter? Briefly explain your answer.
c. To key the collected information in SPSS, first, we must design the variable
view file. Complete all the five columns of the following variable view file for
the two questions asked in the survey.
Name

Type

Label

Values

Measure