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Exercise 1: Descriptive Statistics Practice Exercises

This document contains three practice exercises on descriptive statistics and instructions to calculate the mean, median, mode, range, variance, and standard deviation for different data sets. It also includes converting a score to a z-score and standard score. There are also "calculator fun" problems that involve inverting a calculator to read upside-down answers. The document concludes with the answers to all exercises and problems.

Uploaded by

Mohsin Hassan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
253 views

Exercise 1: Descriptive Statistics Practice Exercises

This document contains three practice exercises on descriptive statistics and instructions to calculate the mean, median, mode, range, variance, and standard deviation for different data sets. It also includes converting a score to a z-score and standard score. There are also "calculator fun" problems that involve inverting a calculator to read upside-down answers. The document concludes with the answers to all exercises and problems.

Uploaded by

Mohsin Hassan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Descriptive Statistics Practice Exercises

Work these exercises without using a computer. Do use your calculator. At the end of
the document you fill find the answers. If you need more practice, please work the exercises
at the end of the chapters in Howell.

Exercise 1

Students in my undergraduate statistics class, Summer, 2010, were asked to rate how
fearful they were of the course (statophobia), using a scale from 0 (absolutely no fear) to 10
(extreme sympathetic arousal and crippling emotions). Here are the data for the male
students:

Statopha

Frequency

5 1

7 2

10 1

Total 4

a. Gender = Male

For these 4 scores, compute the mean, median, mode, range, sample variance, and
sample standard deviation. Compare the mean to the median and then comment on the
shape of the distribution.

Y (Y-M) (Y-M)2
5 -2.25 5.0625
7 -0.25 .0625
7 -0.25 .0625
10 2.75 7.5625
Page

Exercise 2

Here are the data for the female students in that same class:

Statopha

Frequency

5 3

6 4

7 2

8 3

9 2

Total 14

a. Gender = Female

For these 14 scores, compute the mean, median, mode, range, sample variance, and
sample standard deviation.

Y (Y-M) (Y-M)2
5 -1.786 3.190
5 -1.786 3.190
5 -1.786 3.190
6 -0.786 .618
6 -0.786 .618
6 -0.786 .618
6 -0.786 .618
7 0.21 .044
7 0.21 .044
8 1.214 1.474
8 1.214 1.474
8 1.214 1.474
9 2.214 4.902
9 2.214 4.902
Page

Exercise 3

Imagine that Sue Cash is a female student in your statistics class and she gets a score
of 9 on the measure of statophobia. Using the sample mean and standard deviation for the
female students in that summer class, convert her score of 9 to a z score.

Suppose that we wanted to convert the statophobia scores to a standard score system
with a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15 (like IQ scores). What would Suzie’s score
be?

Suppose that Sue is not a woman but rather a man – A Boy Named Sue. Recalculate
his z score and IQ-like score using the sample mean and standard deviation for the male
students in that summer class.
Page

And Now For A Little Fun

To find the answer to each of the below, do the indicated calculation on an eight-digit
floating decimal point calculator and then invert the calculator to read the answer from the
upside-down display.

1. An evil German, Nazi minister of propaganda, 1933-1945.

2
11(2284 + 463)

2. German phrase often said by person in item # 1:

3
15[(168 +1153(13)]
10 , 000

3. Magazines printed on glossy paper (British)

53.000001(1,002,926)

4. What roosters always are, hens never are:

23532 + √1 ,915,456
5. What does the Eskimo's fiancée do after accepting his proposal of marriage

73342 + 2789
First two words: 1. 25(800 )

Second two words: .0912(.867) + .000081

6. Mr. Potatohead's hometown:

2
4(95 - 248)
Page

Answers

Exercise 1

Sum = 5+7+7+10=29
Mean = 29/4 = 7.25
Sum of squared deviations from the mean = 5.0625+.0625+.0625+7.5625 = 12.75
Sample variance = 12.75/3 = 4.25
Sample standard deviation = √ 4 . 25=2. 062
The median location is (N+1)/2 = 5/2 = 2.5. The 2.5 th score from either tail falls between
one 7 and the other 7. The mean of 7 and 7 is 7. The median is 7.

The mean is a bit higher than the median, indicating a bit of positive skewness. If you
used SAS or SPSS to compute the g1 estimate of skewness, it would be +0.713.

Exercise 2

Sum = 3(5)+4(6)+2(7)+3(8)+2(9) = 95
Mean = 95/14 = 6.786
Sum of squared deviations of scores from their mean = 3(3.19) + 4(.618) + 2(.044) +
3(1.474) + 2(4.902) = 26.356.
Sample variance = 26.356/13 = 2.027
Sample standard deviation = √ 2. 027=1. 424
The median location is 15/2 = 7.5. The 7.5 th score from either tail falls between a 6 and
a 7. The mean of 6 and 7 is 6.5. The median is 6.5.

The mean is slightly greater than the median, indicating a little bit of positive skewness.
If you used SAS or SPSS to compute the g1 estimate of skewness, it would be +0.25.

Exercise 3

9−6 . 786
z= =+ 1 .555
1 . 424

IQ-like Standard Score = 100 + (1.555)(15) = 123.325

9−7 . 25
z= =+ 0 . 849
The boy named Sue: 2. 062

IQ-like Standard Score = 100 + (.849)(15) = 112.735

The means and standard deviations we have used here are what psychologists call
“normative statistics.” That is, they estimate the characteristics of a particular population of
Page

scores. When computing a standard score, it is important that one use the appropriate norms.
Notice that Sue’s standard score is greatly affected by whether we use the norms for female
students or the norms for male students.

Calculator Fun

1. 57388309  GOEBBELS

2. 71349315  SIEG hEIL

3. 53155079  GLOSSIES

4. 5537993  EGGLESS

5. 53790.345  ShE OGLES 0.0791514  hIS IGLOO

6. 35108  BOISE

 Lesson on Descriptive Statistics


 Statistics Lessons
 Karl L. Wuensch

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