Question

Differentiate between descriptive and inferential statistics.

Answer 1

Descriptive statistics uses the data to provide descriptions of the population, either through numerical calculations or graphs or tables. Inferential statistics makes inferences and predictions about a population based on a sample of data taken from the population in question.

Answer 2

The difference between the sample statistic and the population value is the sampling error. Inferential statistics incorporate estimates of this error into the statistical results. In contrast, summary values in descriptive statistics are straightforward.