Skip to content

The means graph and prediction

The means graph and prediction

Prediction

Prediction is estimating the dependent variable y\displaystyle y from a known value of the independent variable x\displaystyle x: how tall is a son whose father is 185 cm tall expected to be? When there is a statistical relation, x\displaystyle x helps to predict y\displaystyle y, but not exactly.

The means graph

A researcher measured the heights of 13 fathers and of their grown-up sons. To build a means graph:

  1. Divide the x\displaystyle x axis into equal bands: 160–170, 170–180, 180–190, 190–200.
  2. In each band work out the mean of y\displaystyle y: in the band 160–170 the sons are 168, 170 and 175 cm tall, and the mean is 168+170+1753=171\displaystyle {\frac{168+170+175}{3}}={171}.
  3. Mark each mean above the middle of its band, and join the points with lines.
165170175180185190195160170180190200Father's height (cm)Son's height (cm)
Father’s height160–170170–180180–190190–200
Son’s mean height171177184190

The means graph rises, like the points: the relation is positive.

A band’s mean is the prediction

The prediction of y\displaystyle y for every value of x\displaystyle x in a band is the band’s mean.

  • For the son of a father 185 cm tall, in the band 180–190, the prediction is 184 cm.
  • The prediction is not exact: this band has sons of 180 and of 187 cm. The more spread out the points in a band, the less exact the prediction.
  • When there is a lot of data for each value of x\displaystyle x, a mean can be worked out for each value separately, without bands.
Exercise 1

15 pupils wrote down how many hours they studied for a test, and the mark they got.
Divide the x\displaystyle x axis into the bands 0–2, 2–4, 4–6 and 6–8. A value on the border between two bands belongs to the higher one.

506070809002468Hours of study for the testMark
a

Work out the mean mark in the band 2–4.

    / – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – check and a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power

    / – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power

    b

    Work out the mean mark in the band 4–6.

      / – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – check and a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power

      / – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power

      c

      A pupil studied for 5 hours. What does the means graph predict for the pupil’s mark? Why is the prediction not necessarily the mark the pupil will get?

        / – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – check and a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power

        / – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power

        Exercise 2

        At a primary school, 15 children aged 6 to 10 were asked how many hours they slept at night.

        Age (years)666777888999101010
        Hours of sleep1110.511.510.51011109.510.51099.598.59.5
        a

        Work out the mean hours of sleep of the 8-year-olds.

          / – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – check and a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power

          / – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power

          b

          Draw the means graph: a mean for each age.

          c

          What is the prediction of the hours of sleep of a 9-year-old?

            / – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – check and a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power

            / – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power