Data Handling and Analysis

• Descriptive Statistics - Describes the characteristics of a sample

  • Measure of Central Tendency
  • Measure of Dispersion
• Measure of Central Tendency:

  • Mean
  • Mode
  • Median
• Measure of Dispersion: how far the data differ from one another

  • Range
  • Standard Deviation
• Mean:

  Pros:

  • most sensitive (affected by outliers)

  Cons

  • Sensitivity leads to distortion
  • Cannot be used with nominal data
• Median:

  Pros:

  • not affected by outliers
  • appropriate for ordinal data

  Cons:

  • data ignores the present of an outlier
• Mode: most common

  Pros:

  • unaffected by outliers
  • useful for discrete data

  Cons:

  • not useful if several modes are present
  • Tells us nothing about other values
• Standard Deviation:

  Pros:

  • precise method of dispersion

  Cons:

  • May hide some characteristics of the data
• Thematic analysis - a qualitative method of data analysis that involves identifying and analysing patterns and major themes in a text
• Range:

  Pros:

  • less time consuming - allows psychologists to spend more time constructing findings

  Cons:

  • Vulnerable to anomalies - therefore not representative of data