Chapter 9: descriptive statistics
data - correct answer ✔✔information about communi- cation phenomena.
dataset - correct answer ✔✔The numerical data, or raw data, collected from each participant is
compiled into a ..... or collection of the raw data for the same variables for a sample of participants.
descriptive - correct answer ✔✔Using the numbers in the dataset, researchers compute another set of
numbers, called ..... statistics, which convey essential basic information about each variable and the
dataset as a whole.
-mean
-standard deviation
-range
-number of cases
inferential - correct answer ✔✔provide information about the relationships between or among variables
in the study and to help researchers draw conclusions about a population by examining the data of the
sample. This use of numbers is known as ...... statistics.
normal curve - correct answer ✔✔The ....., or bell curve, is a theoretical distribution of scores or other
numerical values. The majority of cases are distributed around the peak in the middle, with progressively
fewer cases as one moves away from the middle of the distribution. That is, in this theoretical
distribution, more responses are average or near-average than extremely high or extremely low. The
normal curve is recognizable because of its distinct bell shape and symmetry—one side of the curve is a
mirror image of the other side.
frequency - correct answer ✔✔The horizontal axis represents all possible values of a variable, whereas
the vertical axis represents the relative ..... with which those values occur. Communication researchers
often use .... data to report on the occurrence of communication events. This type of data is actually at
the nominal level, because the researcher is making a decision for each occurrence.
mean - correct answer ✔✔the average score
, -can be a decimal
-most common measure of central tendency
median - correct answer ✔✔the score in the middle of the distribution
mode - correct answer ✔✔the score that occurs out frequently
skewed - correct answer ✔✔When a distribution of scores is not normal, it is referred to as a .....
distribution. One side is not a mirror image of the other. Rather, the curve is asymmetrical; one side is
different from the other. Thus, the mean, median, and mode will not be at the same point.
positively - correct answer ✔✔A .......skewed curve represents a distribution in which there are very few
scores on the right side of the distribution. Thus, there are very few very high scores. most of the scores
are lumped together on the left side of the curve, below the
mean. The mean is greater than the median
negatively - correct answer ✔✔a ...... skewed curve represents a distribution in which there are very few
scores on the left side of the distribution. Thus, there are very few very low scores. the mean is less than
the median
median - correct answer ✔✔the mean will always be the largest value of the three measures of central
tendency in a positively skewed distribution and the smallest in a negatively skewed distribution. When
distributions are skewed, the ....... is a better measure of central tendency than the mean.
quantitative - correct answer ✔✔Researchers describe data for each ...... variable in three ways: the
number of cases or data points, central tendency, and dispersion or variability. Each of these descriptions
provides information about the frequency of scores.
number of cases - correct answer ✔✔Generally, the greater the ......, or data points, the more reliable
the data. One way for consumers of research to make this determination is to look for this information in
the methods or results section of the written research report. The number of cases for which data are
reported is represented by the letter n or N. Although styles vary by journals, generally, N refers to the
total number in a sample, whereas n refers to a subsample, or a group of cases drawn from the sample.
data - correct answer ✔✔information about communi- cation phenomena.
dataset - correct answer ✔✔The numerical data, or raw data, collected from each participant is
compiled into a ..... or collection of the raw data for the same variables for a sample of participants.
descriptive - correct answer ✔✔Using the numbers in the dataset, researchers compute another set of
numbers, called ..... statistics, which convey essential basic information about each variable and the
dataset as a whole.
-mean
-standard deviation
-range
-number of cases
inferential - correct answer ✔✔provide information about the relationships between or among variables
in the study and to help researchers draw conclusions about a population by examining the data of the
sample. This use of numbers is known as ...... statistics.
normal curve - correct answer ✔✔The ....., or bell curve, is a theoretical distribution of scores or other
numerical values. The majority of cases are distributed around the peak in the middle, with progressively
fewer cases as one moves away from the middle of the distribution. That is, in this theoretical
distribution, more responses are average or near-average than extremely high or extremely low. The
normal curve is recognizable because of its distinct bell shape and symmetry—one side of the curve is a
mirror image of the other side.
frequency - correct answer ✔✔The horizontal axis represents all possible values of a variable, whereas
the vertical axis represents the relative ..... with which those values occur. Communication researchers
often use .... data to report on the occurrence of communication events. This type of data is actually at
the nominal level, because the researcher is making a decision for each occurrence.
mean - correct answer ✔✔the average score
, -can be a decimal
-most common measure of central tendency
median - correct answer ✔✔the score in the middle of the distribution
mode - correct answer ✔✔the score that occurs out frequently
skewed - correct answer ✔✔When a distribution of scores is not normal, it is referred to as a .....
distribution. One side is not a mirror image of the other. Rather, the curve is asymmetrical; one side is
different from the other. Thus, the mean, median, and mode will not be at the same point.
positively - correct answer ✔✔A .......skewed curve represents a distribution in which there are very few
scores on the right side of the distribution. Thus, there are very few very high scores. most of the scores
are lumped together on the left side of the curve, below the
mean. The mean is greater than the median
negatively - correct answer ✔✔a ...... skewed curve represents a distribution in which there are very few
scores on the left side of the distribution. Thus, there are very few very low scores. the mean is less than
the median
median - correct answer ✔✔the mean will always be the largest value of the three measures of central
tendency in a positively skewed distribution and the smallest in a negatively skewed distribution. When
distributions are skewed, the ....... is a better measure of central tendency than the mean.
quantitative - correct answer ✔✔Researchers describe data for each ...... variable in three ways: the
number of cases or data points, central tendency, and dispersion or variability. Each of these descriptions
provides information about the frequency of scores.
number of cases - correct answer ✔✔Generally, the greater the ......, or data points, the more reliable
the data. One way for consumers of research to make this determination is to look for this information in
the methods or results section of the written research report. The number of cases for which data are
reported is represented by the letter n or N. Although styles vary by journals, generally, N refers to the
total number in a sample, whereas n refers to a subsample, or a group of cases drawn from the sample.
