What is the difference between a population and a sample
What is the difference between a population and a sample

This article "What is the difference between a population and a sample" will help you to study about difference between population and sample in statistics.

What is the difference between a population and a sample?

A sample is a small part of the total population. A population is a subgroup of the larger population which contains everyone within the larger group, but not all members of this larger subgroup. The common use of the terms “population” and “sample” are often confused, because both terms describe different things, and their definitions vary widely within popular statistical literature (Tibshirani & Tibshirani, 2015; Karmakar, 2014).


A sampling framework attempts to assign each individual member of the population to the group most likely to have a common response, based upon some criteria. It provides an unbiased estimate of the probability that the response is expected from the entire population (Tibshirani & Tibshirani, 2017; Liu, 2016). Probability estimation is usually done by drawing samples from the larger groups, such as a large random sample. A well-defined sampling framework may also allow for systematic selection bias, so the results are not accurate when generalizations are made about large populations.


What kind of data are we dealing with?


We use two types of data: numerical and text. We use numerical data to describe quantities, ratios, and counts, whereas textual data describe questions, answers, and observations. Both numerical and textual data can be used interchangeably sometimes. Numerical data is represented using numbers or tables. Sometimes they are called variables, and sometimes you see them described with the word “variables.” They can be given definite values, like the amount of sugar added to your batter in real life vs what is in the serving size of a cup of coffee. On the other hand, textual data can be represented by words (tables, lists, etc.). Some common examples are people, households, households, etc., where quantitative data is expressed in tables and rows. If you give each person a name, you can identify a person, or if you give every household a location, you can know its type. Also, we have numerical data for the country, climate, population, size, etc. However, to express information about people, it’s better to present individuals in groups (hundreds, families, neighborhoods, cities, etc.), e.g. age, income, education, etc, and quantitative data in tables and columns. For instance, the question: How many children does my family have? To answer this question, there must be numerical data, because it gives the number of individuals’ children that exist in a family.

However, to express numbers, it would be more appropriate to express these figures as percentages, then as actual numbers. Another case is how much time do people spend in each state? This statistic can not be solved with numerical data only because the population size is difficult to evaluate with such calculations. But with numerical data, it is possible to say how many people live in one area, how many homes they have, and all that. For instance, the state with a million people can be represented as “state 1”, and the state with 100,000 residents can be represented as “state 100.”


What kind of test is necessary?

A test is a procedure used to determine whether a variable belongs to the set of attributes (tables) in the population that is being studied. We conduct tests on any property that is a part of our population or a sample from a larger population, whether we measure the property itself or some related characteristic of it. Here, the set of properties (like height) is known to describe a sample of individuals. To have a test, we create a questionnaire, or survey, about each individual, and ask certain questions about their demographic traits. Then, we can compare whether these characteristics are related to the individual in the population or not. At the same time, it’s possible to find the correlations between different variables. You should take into account the individual’s personal information, so don’t make careless comments about it.

What can I interpret in my analysis?


The interpretation of the model or the regression line is based on the nature of the data to be analyzed. So, when we talk about “the model,” we mean a “hypothesis” that can be tested. When we say “regression line,” we are talking about a straight line that points out to the data. The model coefficients tell us how the independent variables affect the dependent variable. For instance, if you want to test if temperature affects the frequency of death or obesity among men in France, you can divide the independent variables into the following buckets:


Gender

Age

Height

Occupation

The first three are a bit formal but are still important for interpreting the model. Gender determines both the male and female population. Age is not only an important factor for deciding the future, but also for changing the physical appearance of body. Occupation reflects a lot of factors. For instance, if you think about the situation of carpenters and builders, a stable occupation means good health and stability. According to research conducted by the international agency for the development of human rights (2013), the occupations of building and carpeering make men much less likely to die from diseases like heart disease and diabetes compared to other occupations. They also suffer from high rates of accidents and injuries. All in all, occupation is a key predictor of the mortality rate among people. These are just a few aspects, but many more factors can influence the way of living.