Читать книгу Interpreting and Using Statistics in Psychological Research - Andrew N. Christopher - Страница 60

1 Table 3.5 is a frequency distribution table for the ages of participants in Wendt’s (2013) research.Use it to answer the following questions:What was the range of participant ages in this research?A: 15 years old to 23 years oldHow many 20-year-olds were there in this research?A: 6What percentage of the participants were 18 years old?A: 30.6% Table 3.5

2 What is the difference between a histogram and a frequency polygon?A: A histogram is more appropriate for discrete data, whereas a frequency polygon is more appropriate for continuous data.

3 Why might frequency distribution graphs be preferable to tables as a way to display data?A: Visual information is typically easier for people to understand quickly. Tables convey the same information, but it is often more difficult for people to digest information in tabular format than in pictorial format.

4 Figure 3.4 contains a histogram that displays the frequency of occurrence for scores on a class midterm exam (these data are for illustrative purposes only). Use this histogram to answer the following questions:How many students took this midterm exam?A: To get this number, add the frequency for each exam score. Doing so reveals that 40 students took the midterm exam.What was the most frequently occurring score on the midterm?A: Look for the highest point on the histogram; then see what score along the x-axis it corresponds to. Here, the most frequently occurring score is 85.How many students scored 91% on the midterm?A: 3Figure 3.4 Histogram of Class Scores on a Midterm Exam

5 In Wendt’s (2013) research, she recorded respondent’s sex. What sort of frequency distribution graph would be used for these data? Explain your response.A: A bar graph is the best choice because a person’s sex, similar to a person’s year in college, is measured on a nominal scale.