Descriptive vs. Inferential Statistics

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What is the definition of Descriptive Statistics?

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Descriptive statistics summarize and describe the characteristics of a data set, providing simple summaries about the sample and measures. Examples include mean, median, mode, and standard deviation.

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What is the definition of Inferential Statistics?

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Inferential statistics use a random sample of data taken from a population to make inferences or generalizations about the population. It often involves hypothesis testing and confidence intervals.

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What is a population in statistics?

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A population is the entire group of individuals or instances about whom we hope to learn. For example, every person in the United States.

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What is a sample in statistics?

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A sample is a subset of the population that is used to represent the entire group. It is selected to make inferences about the population.

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What is the difference between a population and a sample?

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A population includes all members of a specified group, while a sample consists of a portion of that population, selected for analysis.

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What is the purpose of using a sample instead of a population?

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Using a sample is often more practical and cost-effective than studying an entire population, especially when the population is large.

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What is the mean in descriptive statistics?

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The mean is the average of a set of numbers, calculated by adding all the values together and dividing by the number of values.

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What is the median in descriptive statistics?

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The median is the middle value in a data set when the numbers are arranged in order. If there is an even number of observations, the median is the average of the two middle numbers.

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What is the mode in descriptive statistics?

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The mode is the value that appears most frequently in a data set. A set of data may have one mode, more than one mode, or no mode at all.

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What is hypothesis testing in inferential statistics?

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Hypothesis testing is a method used to determine whether there is enough statistical evidence in a sample to infer that a certain condition holds for the entire population.