Chapter 6: Sampling

Distributions
Where We’ve Been

 The objective of most statistical

analyses is inference
 Sample statistics (mean, standard
deviation) can be used to make
decisions
 Probability distributions can be used to
construct models of populations

McClave: Statistics, 11th ed. Chapter 6: Sampling 2

Distributions
Where We’re Going

 Develop the notion that sample

statistic is a random variable with a
probability distribution
 Define a sampling distribution for a
sample statistic
 Link the sampling distribution of the
sample mean to the normal probability
distribution
McClave: Statistics, 11th ed. Chapter 6: Sampling 3
Distributions
 In practice, sample statistics are used
to estimate population parameters.
 A parameter is a numerical descriptive
measure of a population. Its value is
almost always unknown.
 A sample statistic is a numerical
descriptive measure of a sample. It can
be calculated from the observations.

McClave: Statistics, 11th ed. Chapter 6: 4

Sampling Distributions
 Parameter Statistic

Mean µ

Variance 2 s2

Standard Deviation s

Binomial proportion p p̂

McClave: Statistics, 11th ed. Chapter 6: 5

Sampling Distributions
6.1: The Concept of a Sampling
Distribution

 Since we could draw many different

samples from a population, the sample
statistic used to estimate the population
parameter is itself a random variable.
 The sampling distribution of a sample
statistic calculated from a sample of n
measurements is the probability
distribution of the statistic.

McClave: Statistics, 11th ed. Chapter 6: 6

Sampling Distributions
 6.1: The Concept of a Sampling
Distribution
Imagine a very small population consisting of the elements 1, 2 and 3.
Below are the possible samples that could be drawn, along with the
means of the samples and the mean of the means.

n=1 n=2 n = 3 ( = N)
1 1 1, 2 1.5
2 2 1, 3 2 1, 2, 3 2
3 3 2, 3 2.5

x 2 x 2 x 2
3 3 1

McClave: Statistics, 11th ed. Chapter 6: 7

Sampling Distributions
 6.1: The Concept of a Sampling
Distribution

To estimate µ
…should we use …

… or … the median ?

McClave: Statistics, 11th ed. Chapter 6: 8

Sampling Distributions
 6.1: The Concept of a Sampling
Distribution

To estimate µ
…should we use …

… or … the median ?
Yes!
(Depending on the distribution of the random variable.)
McClave: Statistics, 11th ed. Chapter 6: 9
Sampling Distributions
6.2: Properties of Sampling Distributions:
Unbiasedness and Minimum Variance

 A point estimator is a single number

based on sample data that can be used as
an estimator of the population parameter

µ
p̂ p

s2 2

McClave: Statistics, 11th ed. Chapter 6: 10

Sampling Distributions
6.2: Properties of Sampling Distributions:
Unbiasedness and Minimum Variance

 If the sampling distribution of a sample

statistic has a mean equal to the population
parameter the statistic is intended to
estimate, the statistic is said to be an
unbiased estimate of the parameter.

McClave: Statistics, 11th ed. Chapter 6: 11

Sampling Distributions
 6.2: Properties of Sampling Distributions:
Unbiasedness and Minimum Variance

 If two alternative
sample statistics are
both unbiased, the one
with the smaller
standard deviation is
preferred.
 Here, A = B, but
A < B, so A is
preferred.

McClave: Statistics, 11th ed. Chapter 6: 12

Sampling Distributions
6.3: The Sampling Distribution of
and the Central Limit Theorem
Properties of the Sampling Distribution of

The mean of the The standard deviation

sampling distribution of the sampling
equals the mean of the distribution [the
population standard error (of the
mean)] equals the
 x  ( E x)   population standard
deviation divided by the
square root of n

x 
n
McClave: Statistics, 11th ed. Chapter 6: 13
Sampling Distributions
 6.3: The Sampling Distribution of
and the Central Limit Theorem
Here’s our small population again, this time with the standard deviations of the
sample means. Notice the mean of the sample means in each case equals the
population mean and the standard error falls as n increases.

n=1 n=2 n = 3 ( = N)
1 1 1, 2 1.5
2 2 1, 3 2 1, 2, 3 2
3 3 2, 3 2.5

x 2 x 2 x 2
3 3 1
 x  .82  x  .41 x  0

McClave: Statistics, 11th ed. Chapter 6: 14

Sampling Distributions
6.3: The Sampling Distribution of
and the Central Limit Theorem

 If a random sample of n observations is

drawn from a normally distributed
population, the sampling distribution of
will be normally distributed

McClave: Statistics, 11th ed. Chapter 6: 15

Sampling Distributions
 6.3: The Sampling Distribution of
and the Central Limit Theorem
 The Central Limit Theorem
The sampling distribution of ,
based on a random sample
of n observations, will be
approximately normal with
µ = µ and = / n.
The larger the sample size, the
better the sampling
distribution will approximate
the normal distribution.

McClave: Statistics, 11th ed. Chapter 6: 16

Sampling Distributions
 6.3: The Sampling Distribution of
and the Central Limit Theorem
Suppose existing houses for sale average 2200 square
feet in size, with a standard deviation of 250 ft2.

What is the probability that a randomly selected house will have

at least 2300 ft2 ?

McClave: Statistics, 11th ed. Chapter 6: 17

Sampling Distributions
 6.3: The Sampling Distribution of
and the Central Limit Theorem
Suppose existing houses for sale average 2200 square
feet in size, with a standard deviation of 250 ft2.

P( x  2300) 
What is the probability that a
 2300  2200 
randomly selected house will P z  
have at least 2300 ft2 ?  250 
P( z  0.40)  .3446

McClave: Statistics, 11th ed. Chapter 6: 18

Sampling Distributions
 6.3: The Sampling Distribution of
and the Central Limit Theorem
Suppose existing houses for sale average 2200 square
feet in size, with a standard deviation of 250 ft2.

What is the probability that a randomly selected sample of 16

houses will average at least 2300 ft2 ?

McClave: Statistics, 11th ed. Chapter 6: 19

Sampling Distributions
 6.3: The Sampling Distribution of
and the Central Limit Theorem
Suppose existing houses for sale average 2200 square
feet in size, with a standard deviation of 250 ft2.

P( x  2300) 
What is the probability that a
 
randomly selected sample of  2300  2200 
16 houses will average at P z  
 250 
least 2300 ft2 ?
 16 
P( z  1.60)  .0548

McClave: Statistics, 11th ed. Chapter 6: 20

Sampling Distributions