Results for PROC UNIVARIATE

[mhayat]

Hello,

The results displayed with PROC UNIVARIATE are described as descriptive statistics. However, the standard error of the mean is included in this display. While the standard deviation is certainly a descriptive statistic, the standard error is not. It is an inferential statistic that is only appropriate when the data comprise a random sample selected from a population of interest.

It would be helpful as a statistics instructor to have the SE not reported in this way with the PROC UNIVARIATE output, since it is not a descriptive statistic.

Thank you for considering.

Matt Hayat, PhD

Professor of Biostatistics

Georgia State University

[cyrus]

Hi Matt,

Thank you for your suggestion.  The standard error of the mean is provided in the Moments ODS Table.  I am not aware of it being labeled as a descriptive statistic in the displayed output (though it is shown alongside them in the table).   In the documentation, it is listed under the "Descriptive Statistic Keywords" heading in a few places:

• Table 10 in the Inset Statement page,
• Table 14 in the Output Statement page, and
• Table 36 in the description of the OUT= Output Data Set.

Did you have in mind another place where the standard error is listed as a descriptive statistic?

Best Regards,

Cyrus Bradford

SAS Technical Support

Statistics