Why Statistics Matter

Research Methods – Probability

In this course, Dr Ayoub Bouguettaya (University of Birmingham) explores probability within the field of statistics. In the first lecture, we look to understand what statistics are and why they matter. In the second lecture, we think about statistical testing as a function of the null hypothesis, and what it means to reject a null. In the third lecture, we think about significance and normality, including the importance of evaluating percentages and probability against the number of events/incidences being tested. Next, we think about types of statistical tests, with a focus on t-tests, Pearson’s correlation, Spearman’s Rho, and the Chi-squared test. In the fifth lecture, we think about the two main types of errors: type 1 and type 2, and their consequences in different settings. In the sixth and final lecture, we think about some controversies in the field of statistics, including p-hacking and the use of Bayesian statistics.

Why Statistics Matter

In this lecture, we look to understand what statistics are and why they matter, focusing on three examples: (i) why a drug tester might be fired for finding that their drug lowers the blood pressure of people who had previously been reading as having high blood pressure; (ii) why reinforcing commonly damaged parts of fighter planes could have no effect on the number who safely return from battle; (iii) how you could prove that a coin is biased in a coin flip.