CHAPTER OBJECTIVES
KEY TERMS
At the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
‹ Define statistics
‹ Differentiate between descriptive
and inferential statistics
‹ Identify how frequencies can be
graphically depicted
‹ Describe measures of central
tendency and their uses
‹ Name patterns of data distribution
correctly
‹ Describe measures of variability
and their use
‹ Discuss the purpose of inferential
statistical tests
‹ Explain how statistical testing is
related to chance
‹ Distinguish between type I and type
II errors
‹ Describe alpha levels commonly used
in nursing research
‹ Match common notations with
associated statistical tests
‹ Identify common statistical tests as
parametric or nonparametric
‹ Describe tests used to determine
statistically significant differences
between groups
‹ Discuss tests used to determine
statistically significant differences
among variables
‹ Assign commonly used statistical tests
to examples based on type of research
question and level of measurement
‹ Interpret data reported in statistical
tables
‹ Differentiate between statistical
significance and clinical significance
‹ Appraise data analysis sections of an
article
‹ Discuss ethical considerations when
conducting statistical analysesalpha level
amodal
analysis of variance
bimodal
bivariate analysis
Chi square
coefficient of variation
confidence intervals
correlated t test
correlation coefficients
degrees of freedom
descriptive statistics
direction
heterogeneous
homogenous
independent t test
inferential statistics
kurtosis
magnitude
mean
measures of central tendency
measures of variability
median
modality
mode
multiple regression
multivariate analysis
negatively skewed
nonparametric
nonsignificant
normal distribution
parametric
Pearson’s r
percentage distributions
percentile
population parameters
position of the median
positively skewedprobability
range
Rule of 68–95–99.7
sample statistics
sampling distribution
sampling error
semiquartile range
skewed
standard deviation
statistically significant
statistics
Statistics
t statistic
tailedness
type I error
type II error
unimodal
univariate analysis
z scores