Prelude to Chapters 6 & 7: Z-Scores

Suppose you scored 24 (out of 30) on a test o! !ell d"d you do#
$%out &no!"n' the a(era'e score & the spread of the scores) "t "s hard to deter*"ne Z-scores) or standard"+ed scores) can spec"f"cally descr",e the relat"(e stand"n' of e(ery score "n a d"str",ut"on ser(es as a reference po"nt: Are you above or below average? ser(es as a yardst"c&:
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How much are you above or below the average?

$hat uses do Z-scores ser(e#

.- /ell e0act location of a score "n a d"str",ut"on 1ohnny "s .0 yrs old and !e"'hs 42 l,s -- o! does h"s !t- co*pare to other .0 yr old ,oys# 2- Co*pare scores across different d"str",ut"ons 1"ll scored 63 on her che*"stry test & 47 on her ,"olo'y test --3n !h"ch test d"d she perfor* ,etter#

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o! are Z-scores calculated# 4f you &no! & of a d"str",ut"on) you can calculate a Zscore for any (alue "n that d"str",ut"on
z=

6e("at"on fro* "n S6 un"ts

Relative status, location, of a raw score (X) z-score has 2 parts: .- S"'n tells you "f score "s a,o(e (7) or ,elo! (-) 2- 8alue tells you the *a'n"tude of d"stance "n S6 un"ts
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Con(ert"n' a 9ra!: score "nto a Z-score: ;0a*ple /he a(era'e pre'nancy lasts 266 days) !% a standard de("at"on of .6 days <aura 'a(e ,"rth after 273 days <et=s con(ert th"s to a Z-score:
z=

5 > 273

> 266

> .6
<aura=s pre'nancy !as lon'er than a(era'e) !h"ch resulted "n a P3S/48; Z-score
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273266 7 = z= = 70-4372 .6 .6

Con(ert"n' a Z-score to a 9ra!: score: ;0a*ple /he len'th of ;llen=s pre'nancy results "n a Z-score of ?.-22 o! *any days !as she pre'nant# 5> Z > -.-22

+ +
> .6
;llen=s pre'nancy !as shorter than a(era'e- /h"s !as e0pected as her Z-score !as @;AB/48;

> 266

5 > 266 7 (-.-22)(.6) 5 > 246 days

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Z 6"str",ut"on: B Standard"+ed 6"str",ut"on 4f B<< ra! scores "n a d"str",ut"on are con(erted to Z=s) you ha(e a Zd"str",ut"on 4*portant Ceatures of a Z-d"str",ut"on .- Dean of d"str",ut"on "s 0 2- S6 of d"str",ut"on "s . 3- Shape of d"str",ut"on "s the SBD; as the shape of the or"'"nal

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Z 6"str",ut"on ;0a*ple X 26 .F 20 .2 > .E >2 X- 26 ? .E > 7 .F - .E > -. 20 ? .E > . .2 ? .E > -7 / 7%2 -. % 2 .%2 -7 % 2 Z 7.-4 -0-2 70-2 -.-4 >0 >.

> (.-4 7 -0-2 7 0-2 7 -.-4) % 4 > 0

=
(.-4 - 0) 2 + (0-2 0) 2 + (0-2 0) 2 + (.-4 0) 2 =. 4

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Co*par"n' 8alues fro* 6"fferent 6"str",ut"ons

Aeor'e scored 64 on h"s Gotany test Carl scored 22 on h"s Calculus test

$ho d"d ,etter# 6"ff"cult to co*pare 9ra!: scores Can con(ert ,oth scores to Z=s to put the* on eHu"(alent scales --;0press each score relat"(e to "ts 3$@ & Z-scores are d"rectly co*para,leI"n the sa*e 9*etr"c: Gotany test (Aeor'e): > 60 > 4-2 Z > (64 ? 60) % 4-2 > 70-FE Calculus test (Carl): > 42 >2 Z > (22 ? 42) % 2 > 7.-4
Carl 6"d GetterJ
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3ther /ypes of Standard Scores

9/ransfor*ed standard scores: Curther transfor*at"on of a +-score 6one for con(en"ence 3ften used "n psycholo'"cal%ach"e(e*ent test"n' So*e co**on transfor*ed standard scores: IQ scores: > .00 > .2

SAT sores: > 200 > .00 You dec"de !hat and you !ant 6oes @3/ chan'e shape of the d"str",ut"onJ
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Steps to follow: (.) /ransfor* ra! score to z-score (2) Choose new (a con(en"ent K) (3) Choose new (a con(en"ent K) (4) Co*pute transfor*ed standard score (/SS) TSS > new + z new

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Example: IQ Scores = 100 + (z) 15 + > -.-0 + > 2-0 4L > .00 7 (-.) .2 > F2 4L > .00 7 (2) .2 > .30

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<et=s choose:

new = 50 new = 10 X 6 .. F E 2 E Z (6 ? F) % 2 > -. (.. ? F) % 2 > 7.-2 (F ? F) % 2 > 0 (E ? F) % 2 > 0-2 (2 ? F) % 2 > -.-2 (E ? F) % 2 > 70-2

TSS > new + z new

Student ABM/ P;AAN B@6N

;<;@ ODP M;N 8484B@

Standard Score (TSS) 20 7 (-.)(.0) > 40 20 7 (.-2)(.0) > 62 20 7 (0)(.0) > 20 20 7 (0-2)(.0) > 22 20 7 (-.-2)(.0) > 32 20 7 (0-2)(.0) > 22 new = 50 new = 10

N=6 =8 =

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