why is important to take statistics course

by Berry Kassulke 5 min read

To summarize, the five reasons to study statistics are to be able to effectively conduct research, to be able to read and evaluate journal articles, to further develop critical thinking and analytic skills, to act a an informed consumer, and to know when you need to hire outside statistical help.

Statistics helps you learn to think like a scientist.
Taking statistics can also help you learn to think in a certain way. It can help train your mind to think about how data is organized, hypotheses, and what samples of data mean.

Full Answer

Why study statistics?

Statistics is the science and, arguably, also the art of learning from data. As a discipline it is concerned with the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data, as well as the effective communication and presentation of results relying on data. Statistics lies at the heart of the type of quantitative reasoning necessary for making important advances in the sciences, such as …

What is statistics?

analytic skills. The study of statistics will serve to enhance and further develop these skills. To do well in statistics one must develop and use formal logical thinking abilities that are both high level and creative. The fourth reason to study statistics is to be an informed consumer. Like any other tool, statistics can be used or misused.

How do you use statistics in your everyday life?

Statistics is an important subject to study because other subjects can build off of it. It allows sciences and maths to exist and for data to be organized and described in a way that makes sense. Concepts like probability and hypothesis testing that are covered in the online statistics course can be used in many different fields.

What can you do with a degree in statistics?

Oct 26, 2020 · Why Nurses Need Statistics. Published On: October 26, 2020. Nurses returning to school to further their education and complete an online RN to BSN program are sometimes surprised to see a statistics course in the curriculum. While it is true that most nurses with a BSN are not involved in crunching numbers for their everyday work, they do need to understand the …

Why do we need statistics?

Statistics helps you learn to think like a scientist. Taking statistics can also help you learn to think in a certain way. It can help train your mind to think about how data is organized, hypotheses, and what samples of data mean.

Why is it important to know statistics?

Statistics can help you learn to get comfortable with interpreting numbers and sets of data. We live in a world that depends on technology and data, so it’s important that you know the theories behind statistics so that you can interpret data. Statistics is used in lots of different industries.

Is statistics a good class?

Numbers are everywhere, after all, and with computers making it easy for us to track and record data and information , statistics is a good thing to understand. At Amesite, our statistics class is designed to take you through many important topics within the subject. Statistics is a good class to take because it can help you learn how to organize, ...

Why do we study statistics?

Another reason to study statistics is to be aware of all the different types of bias that can occur in real-world studies. By having a basic understanding of these types of biases, you can avoid committing them when performing research or be aware of them when reading through other research papers or studies.

What is the most important concept in statistics?

One important concept that you’ll learn about in statistics is the concept of confounding variables. These are variables that are unaccounted for and can confound the results of an experiment and lead to unreliable findings.

What is the field of statistics?

The field of statistics is concerned with collecting, analyzing, interpreting, and presenting data. As technology becomes more present in our daily lives, more data is being generated and collected now than ever before in human history. Statistics is the field that can help us understand how to use this data to do the following things:

Why is it important to understand assumptions?

Many statistical tests make assumptions about the underlying data under study. When reading the results of a study or even performing your own study , it’s important to understand what assumptions need to be made in order for the results to be reliable.

What is descriptive statistics?

Descriptive statistics are used to describe a chunk of raw data. There are three main types of descriptive statistics: Each of these can help us gain a better understanding of existing data. For example, suppose we have a set of raw data that shows the test scores of 10,000 students in a certain city.

What is a p-value?

The textbook definition of a p-value is: A p-value is the probability of observing a sample statistic that is at least as extreme as your sample statistic, given that the null hypothesis is true. For example, suppose a factory claims that they produce tires that have a mean weight of 200 pounds.

Is a chart misleading?

Unfortunately, charts can often be misleading if you don’t understand the underlying data.

What do statisticians do?

In major hospitals, medical schools and government agencies, statisticians study the control, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases, injuries and other health abnormalities.

What is statistical method?

Statistical methods are also commonly used in business practice, e.g. to forecast demand for goods and services or to determine the most efficient method of operation. Actuaries use statistical methods to assess risk levels and set premium rates for the insurance and pension industries.

Why is the scientific method important?

In almost every endeavor of human activity, the scientific method has proven effective for solving problems and improving performance. This approach involves the collection of information or data pertinent to the particular problem or concern. Statisticians play several important roles in these scientific studies.

How have quiet statisticians changed the world?

“The quiet statisticians have changed our world; not by discovering new facts or technical developments , but by changing the ways that we reason, experiment, and form opinions” – Ian Hacking

Who is Jessica Tessler?

Her research interests involve multilevel modeling, specifically studying the effects of model misspecification with cross-classified data structures. She is also a pre-doctoral fellow in the Advanced Quantitative Methods in Education Research program, which is funded by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES). In addition, she is a part-time faculty member at California State University, Fullerton, teaching a computer applications course in the psychology department.

Why do psychologists use statistics?

Statistics allow psychologists to: Organize data: When dealing with an enormous amount of information, it is all too easy to become overwhelmed. Statistics allow psychologists to present data in ways that are easier to comprehend.

What are statistics in psychology?

In psychology, we are also confronted with enormous amounts of data. How do changes in one variable impact other variables? Is there a way we can measure that relationship? What is the overall strength of that relationship and what does that mean? Statistics allow us to answer these kinds of questions. Statistics allow psychologists to: 1 Organize data: When dealing with an enormous amount of information, it is all too easy to become overwhelmed. Statistics allow psychologists to present data in ways that are easier to comprehend. Visual displays such as graphs, pie charts, frequency distributions, and scatterplots allow researchers to get a better overview of data and look for patterns they might otherwise miss. 2 Describe data: Think about what happens when researchers collect a great deal of information about a group of people (for example, the U.S. Census). Descriptive statistics provide a way to summarize facts, such as how many men and women there are, how many children there are, or how many people are currently employed. 3 Make inferences based on data: By using what's known as inferential statistics, researchers can infer things about a given sample or population. Psychologists use the data they have collected to test a hypothesis. Using statistical analysis, researchers can determine the likelihood that a hypothesis should be either accepted or rejected. 1 

Who is Emily Swaim?

Emily is a fact checker, editor, and writer who has expertise in psychology content. Learn about our editorial process. Emily Swaim. on April 21, 2020. Hero Images / Getty Images. A lot of psychology students are surprised (and sometimes dismayed) to realize that statistics courses are required for graduation in their chosen major.

What is descriptive statistics?

Descriptive statistics provide a way to summarize facts, such as how many men and women there are, how many children there are, or how many people are currently employed. Make inferences based on data: By using what's known as inferential statistics, researchers can infer things about a given sample or population.

What is a math lab?

Many colleges and universities offer a math lab where students can go to receive extra help and tutoring with any type of math course, including statistics. Consider joining or forming a study group with classmates, too.

Do you need statistics to be a psychologist?

Yes, statistics courses are a major part of virtually all psychology programs. You will also encounter the subject in many of your other classes, particularly those that involve experimental design or research methods. To succeed in psychology, you not only need to be able to pass a statistics class.

Why is it important to be a statistician?

Second, given the growing importance of decisions and opinions based on data, it’s crucial that you can critically assess the quality of analyses that others present to you.

Why is statistical analysis important?

Statistical analyses are used in almost all fields to make sense of the vast amount of data that are available. Even if the field of statistics is not your primary field of study, it can help you make an impact in your chosen field.

What is the field of statistics?

The field of statistics is the science of learning from data. Statistical knowledge helps you use the proper methods to collect the data, employ the correct analyses, and effectively present the results. Statistics is a crucial process behind how we make discoveries in science, make decisions based on data, and make predictions.

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