Question 1: Define the term 'mean' in the context of descriptive statistics.

Answer: The mean is the average value obtained by adding all the data points together and dividing by the number of data points.

Question 2: A psychologist records the ages of 10 participants: 12, 13, 12, 14, 13, 12, 15, 13, 14, 12. Calculate the mode of these ages.

Answer: The mode is 12, as it appears most frequently (4 times).

Question 3: Explain the difference between the mean and the median in descriptive statistics.

Answer: The mean is the average of all data points, while the median is the middle value when the data points are ordered from smallest to largest.

Question 4: A set of test scores are: 70, 75, 80, 85, 90. Calculate the median score.

Answer: The median score is 80, as it is the middle value when the scores are ordered.

Question 5: Describe what a bar chart might be used for in psychological research.

Answer: A bar chart can be used to compare the frequency or percentage of different categories, such as types of responses or groups.

Question 6: A researcher records the number of times students raise their hands in a class over five days: 5, 7, 6, 8, 7. Draw a suitable bar chart to represent this data.

Answer: A bar chart with the days on the horizontal axis and the number of hand raises on the vertical axis. Each bar's height corresponds to the number of raises per day.

Question 7: Sketch a histogram representing the following test scores: 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80. Use appropriate intervals and ensure your histogram clearly shows the distribution.

Answer: A histogram with intervals (e.g., 45-55, 55-65, 65-75, 75-85). The bars' heights reflect the frequency of scores within each interval, showing the distribution's shape.

Question 8: Why is it important to use measures like the mean and median when analysing psychological data?

Answer: These measures provide a summary of the data, allowing psychologists to understand typical values and identify patterns or outliers.

Question 9: A data set has the following values: 10, 12, 14, 16, 18. Calculate the range.

Answer: The range is 8, calculated as the highest value (18) minus the lowest value (10).

Question 10: Explain what a skewed distribution is and how it might appear in a histogram.

Answer: A skewed distribution is one where data are concentrated more on one side, causing the tail to stretch out on the other side. In a histogram, it appears asymmetrical, with the tail longer on one side.