Descriptive Statistics

Descriptive statistics are brief descriptive coefficients that

summarize a given data set, which can be either a representation of
the entire or a sample of a population. Descriptive statistics are
broken down into measures of central tendency and measures of
variability (spread). Measures of central tendency include the mean,
median, and mode, while measures of variability include
the standard deviation, variance, the minimum and maximum
variables, and the kurtosis and skewness.

 Descriptive statistics summarizes or describes characteristics

of a data set.
 Descriptive statistics consists of two basic categories of
measures: measures of central tendency and measures of
variability or spread.
 Measures of central tendency describe the center of a data set.
 Measures of variability or spread describe the dispersion of
data within the set.

Descriptive Statistics are used to present quantitative

descriptions in a manageable form. In a research study we may
have lots of measures. Or we may measure a large number of
people on any measure. Descriptive statistics help us to simplify
large amounts of data in a sensible way. Each descriptive statistic
reduces lots of data into a simpler summary. For instance,
consider a simple number used to summarize how well a batter is
performing in baseball, the batting average. This single number is
simply the number of hits divided by the number of times at bat
(reported to three significant digits). A batter who is
hitting .333 is getting a hit one time in every three at bats. One
batting .250 is hitting one time in four. The single number
describes a large number of discrete events. Or, consider the
scourge of many students, the Grade Point Average (GPA). This
single number describes the general performance of a student
across a potentially wide range of course experiences.
Inferential Statistics

Descriptive statistics describes data (for example, a chart or graph)

and inferential statistics allows you to make predictions
(“inferences”) from that data. With inferential statistics, you take
data from samples and make generalizations about a population.
For example, you might stand in a mall and ask a sample of 100
people if they like shopping at Sears. You could make a bar chart of
yes or no answers (that would be descriptive statistics) or you could
use your research (and inferential statistics) to reason that around
75-80% of the population (all shoppers in all malls) like shopping at
Sears.
There are two main areas of inferential statistics:
1. Estimating parameters. This means taking a statistic from
your sample data (for example the sample mean) and using it to
say something about a population parameter (i.e. the population
mean).
2. Hypothesis tests. This is where you can use sample data to
answer research questions. For example, you might be
interested in knowing if a new cancer drug is effective. Or if
breakfast helps children perform better in schools.

With inferential statistics you take that sample data from a small
number of people and and try to determine if the data can predict
whether the drug will work for everyone (i.e. the population). There
are various ways you can do this, from calculating a z-score (z-
scores are a way to show where your data would lie in a normal
distribution to post-hoc (advanced) testing.

Inferential statistics use statistical models to help you compare your

sample data to other samples or to previous research. Most research
uses statistical models called the Generalized Linear model and
include Student’s t-tests, ANOVA (Analysis of
Variance), regression analysis and various other models that result
in straight-line (“linear“) probabilities and results.