SOCIOL 3FF3 Chapter 5: CHapter 5
8 Mar 2019
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Document Summary
Cornerstone of decision making process of testing hypotheses through analysis of data is probability. If our percentages are based on large #s of observations we can safely treat empirical probabilities as fairly good estimates of truth. Probabilities are usually expressed as percentages: but decimal form is more appropriate for our use. A zero probabilities implies something is impossible. Probability = # of times the event or outcome can occur / total # of times any outcome or event can occur. Similar procedure can be used to summarize probabilities assoc w more complex situations. Can be plotted the same as we did w frequency distributions. The difference btwn probability distributions and frequency distributions. Probability describes what should happen: probability distribution is ideal portrays what the % should be in a perfect world, almost anything can happen. Probability distribution is essentially a frequency distribution for an infinite number of flips of a coin. Mean and standard deviation of a probability distribution.
