STATISTICAL TOOLS USED IN RESEARCH

(Levels of Measurement, Measure of Central Tendency & Variability,

and Descriptive vs. Inferential Statistics)

Science Technology Engineering Mathematics

Grade 9 - Research III

Statistical analysis means investigating trends, patterns, and relationships using
quantitative data. It is an important research tool used by scientists, governments,
businesses, and other organizations.

To draw valid conclusions, statistical analysis requires careful planning from the very
start of the research process. You need to specify your hypotheses and make decisions
about your research design, sample size, and sampling procedure.

After collecting data from your sample, you can organize and summarize the data
using descriptive statistics. Then, you can use inferential statistics to formally test
hypotheses and make estimates about the population. Finally, you can interpret and
generalize your findings.
This reading material is a practical introduction to statistical analysis for students and
researchers. We’ll walk you through the steps. First, we will discuss the different levels
of measurement. Second, identify the descriptive statistics that apply to a data set.
Third, differentiate descriptive and inferential statistics.

Levels of Measurement | Nominal, Ordinal, Interval, and Ratio

Levels of measurement, also called scales of measurement, tell you how precisely
variables are recorded. In scientific research, a variable is anything that can take on
different values across your data set (e.g., height or test scores).

There are 4 levels of measurement:

Nominal: the data can only be categorized

Ordinal: the data can be categorized and ranked

Interval: the data can be categorized, ranked, and evenly spaced

Ratio: the data can be categorized, ranked, evenly spaced, and has a natural zero.

Depending on the level of measurement of the variable, what you can do to analyze
your data may be limited. There is a hierarchy in the complexity and precision of the
level of measurement, from low (nominal) to high (ratio).

Going from lowest to highest, the 4 levels of measurement are cumulative. This means
that they each take on the properties of lower levels and add new properties.
The level at which you measure a variable determines how you can analyze your
data.
The different levels limit which descriptive statistics you can use to get an overall
summary of your data, and which type of inferential statistics you can perform on
your data to support or refute your hypothesis.

In many cases, your variables can be measured at different levels, so you must choose
the level of measurement you will use before data collection begins.

Descriptive statistics help you get an idea of the “middle” and “spread” of your data
through measures of central tendency and variability.

When measuring the central tendency or variability of your data set, your level of
measurement decides which methods you can use based on the mathematical
operations that are appropriate for each level.

The methods you can apply are cumulative; at higher levels, you can apply all
mathematical operations and measures used at lower levels.
*Arithmetic mean is the most used type of mean. A geometric mean is a method used
for averaging values from scales with widely varying ranges for individual subjects.
You can then compare the subject level means with each other. While arithmetic mean
is based on adding values, a geometric mean multiplies values.

**Relative standard deviation is simply the standard deviation divided by the mean.
If you use it on temperature measures in Celsius, Fahrenheit, and Kelvin, you’d get 3
different answers. The only meaningful answer is the one based on a scale with a true
zero, the Kelvin scale.

Descriptive vs Inferential Statistics

Descriptive statistics use summary statistics, graphs, and tables to describe a data
set.

 The distribution concerns the frequency of each value.

 The central tendency concerns the averages of the values.
 The variability concerns how spread out the values are.
This is useful for helping us gain a quick and easy understanding of a data set without
pouring over all the individual data values.

In descriptive statistics, there is no uncertainty – the statistics precisely describe the

data that you collected. If you collect data from an entire population, you can directly
compare these descriptive statistics to those from other populations.

Example: Descriptive statistics

You collect data on the Student Achievement Test (SAT) scores of all 11th graders in a
school for three years.

You can use descriptive statistics to get a quick overview of the school’s scores
in those years. You can then directly compare the mean SAT score with the mean
scores of other schools.

Inferential statistics use samples to draw inferences about larger populations.

Depending on the question you want to answer about a population, you may decide to
use one or more of the following methods: hypothesis tests, confidence intervals, and
regression analysis.

If you do choose to use one of these methods, keep in mind that your sample needs to
be representative of your population, or the conclusions you draw will be unreliable.

Example: Inferential statistics

You randomly select a sample of 11th graders in your state and collect data on their
SAT scores and other characteristics.
 You can use inferential statistics to make estimates and test hypotheses about
the whole population of 11th graders in the state based on your sample data.

References

Descriptive vs. Inferential Statistics: Differences and Ways to Measure | Indeed.com .

(n.d.). Retrieved February 7, 2022, from
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/descriptive-vs-
inferential-statistics

Descriptive vs. Inferential Statistics: What’s the Difference? - Statology. (n.d.). Retrieved
February 7, 2022, from https://www.statology.org/descriptive-inferential-
statistics/

Inferential Statistics | An Easy Introduction & Examples. (n.d.). Retrieved February 7,

2022, from https://www.scribbr.com/statistics/inferential-statistics/

The Beginner’s Guide to Statistical Analysis | 5 Steps & Examples. (n.d.). Retrieved
February 7, 2022, from https://www.scribbr.com/category/statistics/
Name:__________________________________________________ Grade Level____________

Activity Sheet

Note: Use this activity sheet as your answer sheet. You may use the back page for
additional space for your answer and a separate sheet if needed.

Task 1. Enumerate the different levels of measurement in research and describe each
level. Re-state/use your own words to describe each of the levels of measurement.
(Rubrics to use in giving points to your answers).
Task 2. Indicate which level of measurement is being used in the given scenario:

_____________1. A researcher records the acceptability level of a product evaluated

using the Likert Scale.

_____________2. A researcher records height when investigating the growth

performance of tomatoes using organic fertilizer.

_____________3. As part of the investigation, the researcher makes a list of the average
monthly income of the respondent/participant.

_____________4. To determine how temperature affects the solubility of a solid, the

student records the temperature at a certain interval of time.

_____________5. The school guard keeps track of the place of origin of all the people
that come to the school every day.

_____________6. The school nurse makes a list of the employees who are already
vaccinated and those who are not.

_____________7. The grade 9 science teacher of Flora National High School evaluated
the academic achievement of the students for the last 3 years.

_____________8. A student researcher makes a list of all the existing models of the rice
planting machine available in the market.

_____________9. A researcher is making a review on the advantages and disadvantages

of using insecticide.

_____________10. A farmer is making a list of the different insects present in his rice
field every time he visits.
Task 3. With your own words, answer briefly the following: (Rubrics to use in giving
points to your answers)

1. Why is it important to decide what level of measurement to be used in

research?
2. How is descriptive statistics differ from inferential statistics?

Rubrics for Task 1 & 2

Points If the student…

5 Clearly understand how is the research data sets are classified based on the levels
of measurement. Minor mistakes and careless errors can appear in so far as they
do not indicate a conceptual misunderstanding. At least 10% of the words are
repeated as they appear from a reference on the internet.
4 Understand the main concepts of how is the research data sets are classified
based on the levels of measurements, but has some minor yet non-trivial gaps in
their reasoning. At least 30% of the words are repeated as they appear from a
reference on the internet.
3 Has partially understood how the is the research data sets are classified based on
the levels of measurement. Is not completely lost, but requires tutoring in some of
the basic concepts. They may have started correctly, but gone on a tangent or not
finished the statement. At least 50% of the words are repeated as they appear from
a reference on the internet.
2 Has poor understanding of the concept of how the research data sets are classified
based on the levels of measurement. They may have gone in a not entirely-wrong
but unproductive direction. At least 70% of the words are repeated as they appear
from a reference on the internet.
1 Did not understand the concept of how the research data sets are classified based
on the levels of measurement. They may have written some appropriate terms, but
nothing further. Or may have done something entirely wrong. 100% of the words
are repeated as they appear from a reference on the internet.
0 Wrote/did nothing.
1. SOLUTION: This is the nominal level of measurement. Eye color is not a
 number, and so the lowest level of measurement is used.

2. SOLUTION: This is the ordinal level of measurement. The letter grades can be
ordered with A as high and F as low, however, differences between these grades
are meaningless. An A and B grades could be separated by a few or several
points, and there is no way of telling if we are simply given a list of letter grades.

3. SOLUTION: This is the ratio level of measurement. The numbers have a range
from 0% to 100% and it makes sense to say that one score is a multiple of
another.

4. SOLUTION: This is the interval level of measurement. The temperatures can be

ordered and we can look at differences in the temperatures. However, a
statement such as ``A 10-degree day is half as hot as a 20-degree day'' is not
correct. Thus this is not at the ratio level.

5. SOLUTION: This is also the interval level of measurement, for the same reasons
as the last problem.

6. SOLUTION: Careful! Even though this is another situation involving

temperatures as data, this is the ratio level of measurement. The reason why is
that the Kelvin scale does have an absolute zero point from which we can
reference all other temperatures. The zero for the Fahrenheit and Celsius scales
is not the same, as we can have negative temperatures with these scales.

7. SOLUTION: This is the ordinal level of measurement. The rankings are ordered
from 1 to 50, but there is no way to compare the differences in rankings. Movie
#1 could beat #2 by only a little, or it could be vastly superior (in the critic's
eye). There is no way to know from rankings alone.
8. SOLUTION: Prices can be compared at the ratio level of measurement.

9. SOLUTION: Even though there are numbers associated with this data set, the
numbers serve as alternative forms of names for the players and the data is at
the nominal level of measurement. Ordering the jersey numbers makes no
sense, and there is no reason to do any arithmetic with these numbers.

10. SOLUTION: This is the nominal level since dog breeds are not numeric.