Difference between descriptive and inferential statistics

1. Descriptive versus Inferential
Central Tendency, Spread, or Symmetry?

2. You use DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS when you have
information on everyone in a pre-defined population.

3. You use descriptive statistics when you have
information on everyone in a pre-defined population.
For example: All of the taxi drivers in New York.

4. You use descriptive statistics when you have
information on everyone in a pre-defined population.
For example: All of the taxi drivers in New York.
13,500
NY Taxi Drivers

5. You use descriptive statistics when you have
information on everyone in a pre-defined population.
For example: All of the taxi drivers in New York.
13,500
NY Taxi Drivers
Everyone

6. You use descriptive statistics when you have
information on everyone in a pre-defined population.
For example: All of the taxi drivers in New York.
13,500
NY Taxi Drivers
Pre-defined
characteristic

7. You use descriptive statistics when you have
information on everyone in a pre-defined population.
For example: All of the taxi drivers in New York.
13,500
NY Taxi Drivers
Pre-defined
characteristic

8. Another example of a Population:
All female real estate lawyers in Sydney, Australia.
177
Female real estate lawyers in Sydney

9. Another example of a Population:
All female real estate lawyers in Sydney, Australia.
177
Female real estate lawyers in Sydney
Everyone

10. Another example of a Population:
All female real estate lawyers in Sydney, Australia.
177
Female real estate lawyers in Sydney
Pre-defined
characteristic

11. Another example of a Population:
All female real estate lawyers in Sydney, Australia.
177
Female real estate lawyers in Sydney
Pre-defined
characteristic

12. Key information: You most likely are dealing with
descriptive statistics when you see words in the
problem such as, “all,” “everyone,” “census,” or “entire
population.”

13. Inferential
Central Tendency, Spread, or Symmetry?

14. You use INFERENTIAL STATISTICS when you want to
generalize what’s happening with a smaller group (a
sample) to a larger pre-defined population.

15. You use INFERENTIAL STATISTICS when you want to
generalize what’s happening with a smaller group (a
sample) to a larger pre-defined population.
For example: We infer or generalize from a small
number of NY taxi drivers to all NY taxi drivers.

16. You use INFERENTIAL STATISTICS when you want to
generalize what’s happening with a smaller group (a
sample) to a larger pre-defined population.
For example: We infer or generalize from a small
number of NY taxi drivers to all NY taxi drivers.
infer
Sample of 30
NY Taxi Drivers

17. You use INFERENTIAL STATISTICS when you want to
generalize what’s happening with a smaller group (a
sample) to a larger pre-defined population.
For example: We infer or generalize from a small
number of NY taxi drivers to all NY taxi drivers.
infer
Entire Population of 13,500
NY Taxi Drivers
Sample of 30
NY Taxi Drivers

18. You use INFERENTIAL STATISTICS when you want to
generalize what’s happening with a smaller group (a
sample) to a larger pre-defined population.
Other example: We infer or generalize from a small
sample of female real-estate lawyers in Sydney,
Australia to all of them.

19. You use INFERENTIAL STATISTICS when you want to
generalize what’s happening with a smaller group (a
sample) to a larger pre-defined population.
Other example: We infer or generalize from a small
sample of female real-estate lawyers in Sydney,
Australia to all of them.
infer
Sample of 11 Female Real Estate
Lawyers in Sydney

20. You use INFERENTIAL STATISTICS when you want to
generalize what’s happening with a smaller group (a
sample) to a larger pre-defined population.
Other example: We infer or generalize from a small
sample of female real-estate lawyers in Sydney,
Australia to all of them.
infer
Sample of 11 Female Real Estate
Lawyers in Sydney
Entire Population of 177
Female real estate lawyers in Sydney

21. Key information: You most likely are dealing with
inferential statistics when you see words such as,
“sample,” “generalize,” “infer,” “significant,” or
“statistically significant.”

22. So, should your research question be
investigated using Descriptive or Inferential
statistics?
Central Tendency, Spread, or Symmetry?