Statistics: Apply
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For this activity, you will be conducting your own statistical study. Use the following steps as a guide.
Step 1: Identify your population and the characteristic of the population you are interested in finding.
Step 2: Write a survey question that asks about the characteristic of the population you are interested in finding. Some examples are listed below.
On average, how long does a customer have to wait in line to buy a ticket in a theater?
What is the average age of the United States senators in the 112th Congress?
What percentage of the residents in your neighborhood own a pet?
Step 3: Identify how you will choose your sample. Remember that random sampling methods tend to produce representative samples.
Step 4: Organize your data using a graph or table.
Step 5: Find the measures of center and variability, if applicable. Choose the measure that best summarizes your data.
Step 6: Draw inferences about your population using your sample.
View Learning Coach Guide
Step 1: Population - Residents of a specific city, characteristic - average commuting time to work.
Step 2: Survey question - What is your average daily commuting time to work?
Step 3: Sampling method - Use a simple random sampling method to select participants from different neighborhoods in the city.
Step 4: Organize data - Create a table showing the commuting times reported by each participant.
Step 5: Measures of center and variability - Calculate the mean and median commuting time to determine the average commuting time and the middle value of the data set. Variability can be measured by calculating the range or standard deviation of the commuting times.
Step 6: Draw inferences - Based on the sample data, you can make inferences about the average commuting time for residents in the city and identify any patterns or trends related to commuting behavior.