Statistical population definition

Statistical Population is understood to be the grouping or set of elements , with special, similar and common characteristics, that are part of a universe, this condition of similarity facilitates their meeting to carry out statistical studies. Statistical population definition

Its importance lies in the fact that, after its statistical analysis , conclusions can be generated, which in turn can serve as a basis for later decision-making.

In other words, the statistical population is a variable that is related to a  reference group to be studied and the object of observation can be any element, be it objects or people with common characteristics that differentiate them from the rest.

These elements, whether they are things or people, that make up the statistical population have several traits that can be the object of a study, for example, a person has several characteristic traits, including: Statistical population definition

• Age
• Sex
• Profession
• Size
• Weight
• Skin color
• Hair color
• Race
• Scholarship
• Alcohol consumption
• Smoking habit
• Nationality

These characteristics describe the elements, and therefore, the population that they comprise; Each of these features is usually referred to as a statistical variable and can be quantitative or qualitative.

Generally, when starting a statistical study , it is very likely to find a large population, so its treatment is cumbersome and inconvenient; In these cases it is best to divide the universe and work with a small representative group of the statistical population, this reduced portion is called a sample.

For this it is important to consider making a delimitation that considers both the period of time in which the study will be carried out and the space that will be taken into account. Statistical population definition

Thus, the phenomena or behaviors observed in the elements of the sample, and thanks to statistical inference , the results and conclusions of the study can be extrapolated to the rest of the population being investigated.

Statistical Population Types

The statistical population has been cataloged into several types, some of them are mentioned and described below:

The Finite Population

It is made up of a small number of elements, their number is clearly defined, in addition to being measurable, they also have the ability to be grouped. Some examples of a finite population are:

• Inhabitants of a building
• Students in a classroom
• Number of workers in a company
• Items sold In the month of January
• Inventory of boxes in a shoe store

The Infinite Population

It is made up of a large number of elements, their number is incalculable and immeasurable. Some examples of infinite population are: Statistical population definition

• Sand grains in Acapulco
• Number of waves that occur in a hurricane
• Raindrops smaller than 1 centimeter that fall in one day
• Liters of water in an ocean

The Real Population

It is made up of concrete, verifiable elements of real existence. Some examples of real population are:

• People of working age located in Mexico City
• Number of users of a mobile application
• Number of online players on a payment platform
• Number of movies starring a specific actor

The Hypothetical Population

It is composed of a possible number of elements, its number is hypothetical and its verification is not possible, it is generally related to hypothetical observations or referring to psychological traits of people. Some examples of a hypothetical population are:

• Anxiety level of an addict when he stops using narcotics
• Fear that people feel during a kidnapping Statistical population definition
• Level of happiness of a person when obtaining their first job

The Random Population

It is characterized by randomly varying the trait of the elements that are being observed, for example:

• The variation in the weight of a container depending on whether it is empty or full

The Stable Population

It is characterized by the invariance, for a long time, of the feature that is being observed in the elements. For example: Statistical population definition

• Geographical features of a territory
• Movement of the planets

The Unstable Population

The trait of the observed elements is unstable, they vary constantly, for example:

• Cigarette smoking in a city

The Dependent Population

The value of the population varies totally or partially according to a reason or cause, for example:

• The sales depend on promotion, product quality, ease of distribution and the like

The Polynomial Population

It is made up of several characteristics that should be considered, for example:

• Population censuses Statistical population definition