Inferential statistics
Inferential Statistics
Inferential statistics (pronunciation: /ɪnˌfɛrˈɛnʃəl stəˈtɪstɪks/) is a branch of statistics that makes inferences and predictions about a population based on a sample of data taken from the population in question.
Etymology
The term "inferential statistics" is derived from the word "infer", which means to deduce or conclude information. The term "statistics" comes from the Latin word "statisticum collegium" which means a group of statesmen or politicians who would collect and analyze data to make decisions.
Definition
Inferential statistics are techniques that allow us to use these samples to make generalizations about the populations from which the samples were drawn. It is, therefore, a branch of statistics that deals with the analysis and interpretation of the meanings of statistical results in data analysis.
Related Terms
- Descriptive statistics: This is a method used to describe the main features of a collection of data quantitatively. Descriptive statistics are distinguished from inferential statistics (or inductive statistics), in that descriptive statistics aim to summarize a data set, rather than use the data to learn about the population that the data are thought to represent.
- Hypothesis testing: This is a statistical method that is used in making statistical decisions using experimental data. Hypothesis Testing is basically an assumption that we make about the population parameter.
- Confidence interval: In statistics, a confidence interval (CI) is a type of estimate computed from the statistics of the observed data. This proposes a range of plausible values for an unknown parameter (for example, the mean). The interval has an associated confidence level that the true parameter is in the proposed range.
- Sample size: In statistics, a sample is a set of data collected and/or selected from a statistical population by a defined procedure. The elements of a sample are known as sample points, sampling units or observations.
- Population parameter: In statistical inference, a population parameter is a quantity that indexes a family of probability distributions. It can be estimated by a statistic computed from data sampled from a population.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Inferential statistics
- Wikipedia's article - Inferential statistics
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