ABSTRACT
When approaching any new subject, we often have to learn the language of that subject-matter. To better understand the logic of statistics, this chapter starts with some basic vocabulary including the terms constant, variable, population, sample, parameter, and statistic. Statistics are descriptive indices of samples. Statistics will vary from sample to sample. Therefore, they are variables. Statistics are typically denoted with lowercase Roman letters. The chapter examines a model that will explain how these concepts fit together and, at the same time, explains the difference between descriptive and inferential statistics. It also examines scales of measurement–several different ways to think about numbers or data. The chapter provides an introduction to statistical concepts that will be important in understanding measurement principles. It describes a number of important terms. The chapter also describes a model that helps us differentiate between descriptive and inferential statistics.
