Statistics Essentials For Dummies

Index

Symbols and Numerics

• a (alpha level), 93–94
• * (asterisk), 32
• b (y-intercept), 120–123
• H_a (alternative hypothesis), 88–90
• H_o (null hypothesis), 88–90
• m (slope), 120
• n (sample size). See sample size (n)
• n! (n-factorial), 39
• p (probability). See probability (p)
• μ (population mean), 76–77, 94–99, 111
• s (population standard deviation), 60, 72–73
• p-value, 92–94, 110–111
• Q1 (first quartile), 21, 31
• Q3 (third quartile), 21, 31
• r (correlation). See correlation (r)
• s (sample standard deviation), 17–18
• t-distribution. See t-distribution
• t-table, 109, 166
• t-value, 110, 111
• x-axis, 114
• x-coordinate, 114
• X-variable (explanatory variable), 119
• y-axis, 114
• y-coordinate, 114
• y-intercept (b), 120–123
• Y-variable (response variable), 119
• z*-value, 72
• Z-distribution (standard normal distribution), 46–50, 108–109, 110
• Z-formula, 47, 54
• z-score, 47
• Z-table, 47–48, 52, 164–165
• 25th percentile, 21, 31
• 50th percentile, 16–17, 20, 33–34
• 75th percentile, 21, 31

A

• ACT math-help question, 64–67
• Adderall side effects, 103
• ad-hoc explanation, 154
• alpha level (a), 93–94
• alternative hypothesis (H_a), 88–90
• analysis, statistical, 10, 153
• anecdote, 162
• anonymity, 141–142
• asterisk (*), 32
• average, 16–17, 34, 43

B

• b (y-intercept), 120–123
• bar graph, 9, 24–25, 156. See also histogram
• basketball free throw example, 127–135
• best-fitting line. See regression line
• bias
  • in data, 8, 152
  • defined, 7
  • in experiments, 152
  • margin of error, compared to, 84–85

• in sample selection, 7

• sample size, compared ...