I am having trouble understanding the difference with inferential and descriptive statistics. I was hoping for any additional advice you could give to help me understand.
I would say you are describing a situation with actual data you have // DESCRIPTIVE
EXAMPLE: The average number of students in Professor Shloming’s online classes is 21.
Descriptive Statistics // Here we are given a fact. Something is ____.
For inferential there usually is no actual data YET. It is more making a prediction on something that has not happened yet using other/similar data but not from the exact population you want.
EXAMPLE: The average number of students in Professor Shloming’s online classes for next semester will be 21.
This uses “will be” to indicate it is a prediction – we are drawing a conclusion about a population but it is not a given fact. We don’t know for sure that this will actually happen but we use the current day to predict / make an inference.
(INFERENTIAL)
Some more examples:
The average life expectancy of a Neopet is 2 years. Here we are summarizing data so it is Descriptive Statistics // Here we are given a fact. Something is ____. .
The average grade on the final in MA222 in 2010 was a 90. Here we are summarizing data so it is Descriptive Statistics // Here we are given a fact. Something was ____.
In 2026, the number of students I have in each class will be 20. This also uses “will be” to indicate it is a prediction – we are drawing a conclusion about a population but it is not a given fact. We don’t know for sure that this will actually happen but we use the current day to predict / make an inference. (INFERENTIAL)
Drinking Bubble Tea will raise my blood pressure. // We don’t know this as a fact. Making a predicition that in the future something will happen. (INFERENTIAL)