What is the difference between descriptive and inferential statistics? Give an example to support your answer.

Question

Accepted Answer

Descriptive statistics summarize data, while inferential statistics make predictions or inferences about a population based on a sample.

Descriptive statistics describe the main features of a dataset, such as mean, median, and standard deviation.
Inferential statistics involve making predictions or inferences about a population based on a sample, using techniques like hypothesis testing and confidence intervals.
Example: Descriptive statistics would be calculating the average height of students in a class, while inferential statistics would involve using that data to make predictions about the average height of all students in the school.