AP Statistics Summer 2011 What is Statistics?

J M Knock

Read and take notes on Chapter P. You should be able to intelligently discuss the following topics: Give a definition of statistics, and describe what statistics helps you do. Explain why anecdotal evidence is not considered valid statistical data. Discuss the advantages of using available data, and identify at least two methods of obtaining it. Identify the three main statistical designs for producing data. Give an example of poorly collected data. Explain the difference between a survey and an experiment. Explain how an experiment differs from an observational study. Identify the best source of data if you want to establish a cause-andeffect relationship. Explain the difference between individuals and variables. List and describe the four key questions you should ask about a data set. Differentiate between categorical and quantitative variables. Describe what is meant by (exploratory) data analysis. Define the distribution of a variable. Describe the basic techniques used in describing both categorical and quantitative data. Explain what is meant by a lurking variable. Explain how probability helps us to decide if an observation can reasonably be attributed to chance. Explain how sample values are used to make inferences about a population from which a sample was drawn. Include a discussion of variation in your response.