Population unit

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 369.

Separate elements of the population of statistical units called Population unit, and their total number is called volume of population. Population units, as primary cells, expressing its quality homogeneity and are the carriers of certain characteristics. For example, as population units can serve corporations, firms, farms, people, family, machine. Population units must be qualitatively homogeneous.

Elements of population are characterized by one or more signs. Sign - a statistical equivalent of properties of population units. Thus, statistical unit "enterprise" can be described by signs: the volume of production, the ratio of own and borrowed funds, the number of workers and others.

One feature of the statistical population is the presence of signs variations, that is differences, fluctuations in numerical values of the population units. Signs which take different values, are called varying. Examples of varying attributes of man are age, sex, marital status, education level, and the company - specialization, ownership, profitability.

Varying signs are divided into quantitative and attribute (qualitative). Quantitative signs are expressed in numbers (wages, productivity, etc.). Attribute are not subject of numerical describing and are descripted by words which characterizing features (sex, occupation, branch of industry).

Quantitative signs are divided into discrete and continuous by the nature of variation. Discrete are called quantitative signs that can take only integer values ​​(number of vehicles, number of family members and others). Continuous quantitative signs can take any values​​ in certain limits (a person's age, experience, production costs).

Signs are also divided into essential (basic) and insignificant (secondary). Essential signs are main signs for the phenomenon. For example, for the enterprise they are the volume of production and sales, number of employees, productivity and others. Insignificant there are signs that are not directly related to the essence of the phenomenon, such as business name, its jurisdiction, territorial affiliation.

Signs are interrelated, so they are divided into factor and effective signs. Factor signs - are independent signs that affect other signs and are cause of their change. Effective signs are called dependent features that change under the influence of factor signs. Thus, qualification, experience - factor signs, labor productivity - effective sign.

Signs have different levels of measurement which is displayed in various scales. There are such classification of scales: nominal, which sets the scale items (The list of companies that produce cars, special vehicles, buses. They are distinctive examples of the nominal values ​​of the scale), ordinal, that sets the ratio of similarity and consistency (ranks of teams in the tournament, the socio-economic classes, and professional status); interval - equal intervals show the same measure of the sign value (Scale IQ, Celsius temperature scale, country's place in the list for quality of life), and ratio scales makes it possible to establish the relationship of the measured values ​​of the sign (Examples of variables measured at ratio scale: length, weight, current strength, the amount of money, the costs to society for health, education, army, life expectancy).

A indicator is a characteristic of an item or individual.

Statistical indicator is an objective quantitative characteristic (measure) of a social phenomenon or process in its qualitative certainty in a certain place and time. Each Statistical indicator has a qualitative socio-economic content and associated measurement methodology.