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Level of measurement or scale of measure is a classification that describes the nature of information within the values assigned to variables. [1] Psychologist Stanley Smith Stevens developed the best-known classification with four levels, or scales, of measurement: nominal , ordinal , interval , and ratio .
The concept of data type is similar to the concept of level of measurement, but more specific. For example, count data requires a different distribution (e.g. a Poisson distribution or binomial distribution) than non-negative real-valued data require, but both fall under the same level of measurement (a ratio scale).
The sample maximum and minimum are the least robust statistics: they are maximally sensitive to outliers.. This can either be an advantage or a drawback: if extreme values are real (not measurement errors), and of real consequence, as in applications of extreme value theory such as building dikes or financial loss, then outliers (as reflected in sample extrema) are important.
Data may be collected, presented and summarised, in one of two methods called descriptive statistics. Two elementary summaries of data, singularly called a statistic, are the mean and dispersion. Whereas inferential statistics interprets data from a population sample to induce statements and predictions about a population. [6] [7] [5]
It is important to take the measurement levels of the variables into account for the analyses, as special statistical techniques are available for each level: [132] Nominal and ordinal variables Frequency counts (numbers and percentages) Associations circumambulations (crosstabulations)
In statistics, the number of degrees of freedom is the number of values in the final calculation of a statistic that are free to vary. [1] Estimates of statistical parameters can be based upon different amounts of information or data. The number of independent pieces of information that go into the estimate of a parameter is called the degrees ...
A descriptive statistic is used to summarize the sample data. A test statistic is used in statistical hypothesis testing. A single statistic can be used for multiple purposes – for example, the sample mean can be used to estimate the population mean, to describe a sample data set, or to test a hypothesis.
The unit of analysis should also not be confused with the unit of observation.The unit of observation is a subset of the unit of analysis. [citation needed] A study may have a differing unit of observation and unit of analysis: for example, in community research, the research design may collect data at the individual level of observation but the level of analysis might be at the neighborhood ...