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Essay / Difference Between Descriptive and Inferential Statistics
Table of ContentsDefinition of Descriptive StatisticsDefinition of Inferential StatisticsConclusionIn today's world, life without statistics is simply unimaginable because almost everything we do depends on it. Take, for example, a rich father who has no idea how many children he has. He should not be surprised if he is told that a young beggar on the street is one of his sons. Well, that's just because he has no idea how many kids he has. Indeed, this supports the idea that statistics are used for planning purposes. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essayTo get the most out of the data generated in the field, it is packaged into usable formats for effective decision-making. In fact, our world is so attached to it that we can't do anything without it. Broadly speaking, the study of statistics is divided into two: descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. Well, the next question that might come to your mind now is, “What is the difference between descriptive and inferential statistics?” See, we assume that's why you're reading this article in the first place. However, the good news is that we will explain the difference between descriptive and inferential statistics. But in order not to put the cart before the horse, we will first launch this well-researched article with their meanings. Descriptive Statistics DefinitionIn a nutshell, it is a branch of statistics that deals with concise analysis of data. , which summarizes either a sample or the entire data set itself. From this information, a model will likely emerge that the statistician will use for one purpose or another. This means that a conclusion is drawn because the user has achieved a particular goal from the sample. When conclusions are drawn in this way, the information becomes very easy to use. More importantly, anyone can access it and use it for many different purposes. This is often the process used to calculate statistical problems in the academic community and elsewhere where they are relevant. For example, information can be tabulated or represented on a graph. This remains one of the most common ways of representing statistics in today's industry. Now you might be wondering: So what is the difference between descriptive and inferential statistics? Just before we get to the heart of the matter, let's explain the meaning of the other term. Definition of inferential statistics It essentially involves making projections or hypotheses from analyzed records. In other words, the statistician makes a particular decision after testing a hypothesis that may not be true. Then the person goes further by making projections or estimates of what might happen or what might happen in the future based on available records. A typical example is when someone stands at the entrance to a shopping center to carry out a simple survey. As you would expect, the mall has many stores. Now, before a shopper enters the mall, the person will find out from the shoppers about the store they want to purchase from. Let's say he took a survey of 100 buyers. Out of the total number of shoppers, 50% visited store A, which is the highest number of shoppers who visited.