What Inferential statistics is
Inferential statistics is a branch of statistics that uses sample data to draw conclusions about the population from which the sample was taken. It involves making predictions or inferences about a larger population based on information gathered from a sample group.
The steps for inferential statistics include the following:
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Collect the data: The data can be collected through surveys, experiments, or other methods.
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Analyze the data: This involves using descriptive statistics to summarize the data and using inferential statistics to draw conclusions.
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Interpret the results: Results should be interpreted in the context of the research question or hypothesis.
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Report the results: Results should be reported in a way that is easy to understand.
Examples
- A survey of 1,000 adults in the United States is used to estimate the proportion of Americans who own a smartphone.
- An experiment is conducted to compare the effectiveness of two different teaching methods.
- A sample of 100 college students is used to make inferences about the population of college students in the United States.
- The mean height of a sample of 10-year-old children is calculated and used to infer the mean height of 10-year-old children in the population.
- The correlation between study hours and exam scores is calculated to infer the relationship between the two variables.