Stat 100

[BarTopDancer]

It's rocket science to me!

Is anyone here good at Stats (and seriously patient) who would be willing to help/look over my work? I am seriously math challenged and need all the help I can get.

My friend who was supposed to help me with my Stats has gone MIA.

It's an online class out of Penn State Uni, so the whole go to office hours and get help from the teacher thing is kinda out of the picture. It's also my only option to take this class.

Thanks!

[Kevy Baby]

Yeah, I got nothin'. I sucked at Stats.

[lashbear]

I know that 71.4% of all stats are made up on the spot......

[Kevy Baby]

Originally Posted by lashbear

I know that 71.4% of all stats are made up on the spot......

No, that number is 68.9% silly with a mean average of blue.

[Alex]

In what format do you need it reviewed? If it is stats 100 I could probably review. Have an example of what is troubling you?

[BarTopDancer]

The questions are almost more critical thinking in a Stats format (analyze results in terms of what we just learned). It doesn't look like we have to memorize how to find standard deviation or other "typical" stats 100 things.

What was kicking my butt at the moment was a reference to what I think is an incorrect example. Currently awaiting instructor confirmation.

Here is one question (different then what I am waiting confirmation on).

I may just be over thinking the answer. We're studying means, outliers and standard deviations (along with bell curves, histograms and other fun stuff). I think they are all means, but they could all be outlers. Somehow I think the teacher is looking for a mix. My answers are in italics.

QUESTION: For each of the following situations, would you prefer that your data value is an outlier or the mean when compared to others’ data values? Provide reasoning.

a. your grade point average – mean - the GPA at PSU cannot be above 4.0 therefore an outlier would be extremely low.
b. age at which you graduate from college – mean (but it could be outlier).
c. monthly rent for your first apartment – an outlier towards the cheap end

[blueerica]

Sorry I missed your IM last night, the computer was on and to the side. Saw it when I flipped open the laptop.

Anyhow...

My ideas:

a. Outlier. The mean GPA at PSU isn't likely to be super high. It isn't at most colleges. You'd rather have the outlier on the high end. By assuming you'd want the mean, or average, you'd also be assuming that the GPA of PSU, or any college depending on the teacher's perspective on GPA means, is high. So yeah, I'd go with outlier.

b. Haha, could depend on this one. Wanna Doogie Howser it and graduate early? Then outlier. I'd personally prefer mean, but it would depend on your version of the mean - is it older than I imagine it is? If I could go back in time, sure, I'd take mean, but I'm also glad I was an outlier at CSULB. I'd stick with mean.

c. I'd hope monthly rent for ANY apartment would be an outlier on the low end, just as you said. Hehe, who cares if it's my first! You could reason that you'd want it to be the mean, so that you'd understand the value of blah blah blah - who cares, we wants cheap rent!

OK, time to get ready for work!

[BarTopDancer]

See, you think like me. And I'm thinking it's a trick question.

[Ghoulish Delight]

A) outlier. Most colleges grade so that the mean is a C or B, so you want to be an outlier on the high side.

B) Yeah, kinda depends. I just heard that the mean in California is now 6 years to achieve a bachelor's. But is that 6 years from the end of high school? 6 years from when you start taking college courses? Either way, odds are that the average age of graduation is significantly higher than the traditional "standard" of 22, so outlier seems the best answer.

C) I'd say "mean for the apparent quality of apartment being rented". You don't want to over pay, but if it's too cheap, you start to wonder why, that perhaps things are too good to be true.

[Alex]

Those don't sound like questions with firm answers but rather questions where you demonstrate your understanding of the terms in how your justify whichever answer you gave.

As an example, an answer to #1 (no, you really shouldn't be this wordy, I'm just having fun with it):

Well, sir, it depends on whether you want to know how I'd prefer my hypothetical GPA relate to the reality of the PSU mean GPA or how I'd prefer a hypothetical PSU GPA to relate to the reality of my GPA. If the former, since the reality is that the mean PSU GPA is likely around 3.0, and since my goal is to excel in all my studies my clear preference would be that my GPA end up being an outlier at least two standard deviations above that mean, putting me in the top 3 percent of all students.

However, if the question is how I would prefer a hypothetical mean PSU GPA to compare to my actual GPA then...

[AND HERE IT DIVERGES DEPENDING ON ACTUAL GPA]

...since my GPA is, if I may toot my own horn, a very respectable 3.7 and I am a warm-hearted person, while I suspect this would be an outlier I would prefer it were the mean, indicating that I have surrounded myself by intelligent achievers like myself.

...since my GPA is 3.1, there is little reasonable hope that this could be an outlier to the high side so would really prefer that this be very close to the mean since the alternative is likely that I am below the mean.

...since my GPA is 1.9 the only realistic evaluation is that I am an outlier to the low end. The coldly calculating part of me would prefer that I be at the mean, but then that would suggest that PSU kind of sucks. So the another part of me would prefer to be sucking at a good school rather than average at a bad one.