8210 wk2 discussion
Leila Abouzaki
RE: Discussion - Week 2 Attachment
COLLAPSE
General Social Survey Dataset
Within Social statistics for a diverse society, Frankfort-Nachmias et al. (2020) explained that there are two main graphical techniques used in social sciences: the pie chart and bar graph which are appropriate for nominal and ordinal variables, and the histogram and line graphs which are appropriate for interval-ratio variables. Visual displays of data can be invaluable because it makes it easier to understand the statistical findings through visual representation (Walden University, 2016). In bar graphs, the independent variable is plotted on the Y-axis while the dependent variable (corresponding to measured numerical values) is plotted on the X-axis (Wagner, 2020). In the General Social Survey Dataset, the older population's mean of the age in the dataset is 49.01 likely implying there are older respondents in the population and the median is 49.00 which would make the data normally distributed, however, the lowest mode is 53, which makes the data skewed slightly to the right. Thus, the mean indicates the results may not be generalizable across all age groups. I chose to display the data surrounding the respondent's highest degree and age of the respondents. The bar graph (Figure 1) is the best way to display the data, as this is appropriate for nominal and ordinal variables and both of the variables I chose are ordinal (Frankfort-Nachmias et al., 2020). The bar graph displays ‘age of respondent’ on the horizontal axis, with the ‘highest degree’ achieved on the Y-axis. When displayed in the reverse, the information was too constant and appeared linear. The graph indicates that as the respondants' ages increase, so does their degree achieved with most adults after the age of 24 having a graduate degree with a few exceptions of respondents in their 30s and 80s having only a Bachelor's degree. Respondents begin with a High School degree at age of 18 and a Bachelor's degree towards the early 20s. Therefore, the bar graph appears to be an appropriate choice to analyze these two ordinal variables.
Figure 1
RS Highest Degree by Age of Respondent
References
Frankfort-Nachmias, C., Leon-Guerrero, A., & Davis, G. (2020). Social statistics for a diverse society (9th ed.). Sage Publications.
Wagner, III, W. E. (2020). Using IBM® SPSS® statistics for research methods and social science statistics (7th ed.). Sage Publications.
Walden University, LLC. (Producer). (2016). Visual displays of data [Video file]. Author.
Note to Peers: What worked for me to make the bar graph appear in my discussion post: I took a screenshot of the graph then clicked the "+" icon and "insert local files".Kristin Domville
RE: Discussion - Week 2 Attachment
COLLAPSE
Steven stoner RESPINSE 2
General Social Survey Dataset
According to Frnakfort-Nachmias et al. (2020), using a graphic presentation is a common way researchers display frequency distributions that represent the observations of the variable. In the General Social Survey Dataset, data entered for the multiple variables provides the researcher with a wide range of data on respondents' characteristics, attitudes, and behaviors. The mean age of the respondents is 48.27. Further data analysis of two variables from the General Social Survey Dataset was created into a bar graph titled, Simple Bar Mean of Family Income In Constant $ by RS Highest Degree. The bar graph was designed to compare the frequency differences between the two variables. The first variable is the respondent's highest degree, a nominal level of measurement, and is placed on the x-axis. The second variable is the family income in constant dollars, an ordinal level of measurement, and is placed on the y-axis.
In the graph, Simple Bar Mean of Family Income In Constant $ by RS Highest Degree, a side-by-side visual comparison indicates a higher income level with the highest level of education. The error bars indicate how much error is in the reported data. The error suggests a range of data between the two variables representing uncertainty in the data collection. A disadvantage to using a bar graph to display the two chosen variables is a lack of explanation as to why individuals with higher degrees earn more money. It could be assumed that individuals reporting higher income have invested longevity within their current job, or their income could have been combined with their significant other.
References
Frankfort-Nachmias, C., Leon-Guerrero, A., & Davis, G., (2020). Social statistics for a diverse society (9th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Walden University. (2022). General Social Survey Dataset. https://class.waldenu.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-126274276-dt-message-rid-232598980_1/xid-232598980_1