What are the main differences between descriptive and inferential statistics. would this be like a example would be smoking can cause low birth weights which woud be for the women population only? just kind of cunfused with this please help?
Please look at your earlier post.
Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics are two branches of statistical analysis that serve different purposes.
1. Descriptive Statistics: Descriptive statistics summarize and describe the main features of a dataset. They are used to analyze and present data in a meaningful way. Examples of descriptive statistics include measures of central tendency (mean, median, mode), measures of dispersion (range, variance, standard deviation), and graphical representations (histograms, bar charts, pie charts).
To use descriptive statistics to analyze smoking and birth weights, you would collect data on birth weights for both smoking and non-smoking women, and then calculate appropriate measures such as the mean or median birth weight separately for each group. This would allow you to describe the differences in birth weights between the two groups and determine if smoking is associated with lower birth weights.
2. Inferential Statistics: Inferential statistics, on the other hand, involve making inferences or generalizations about a population based on a sample of data. They are used to draw conclusions and make predictions beyond the immediate dataset. Inferential statistics involve hypothesis testing, confidence intervals, and estimation.
To use inferential statistics to analyze smoking and birth weights, you would typically collect a sample of data from a population of interest (e.g., all pregnant women) and use statistical tests to determine if there is a significant difference in birth weights between smoking and non-smoking women. If the sample is representative of the population and the statistical test shows a significant difference, you can infer that the association between smoking and low birth weights exists in the population as well.
In summary, descriptive statistics provide a summary of data, while inferential statistics allow us to make conclusions about a larger population based on a sample. To examine the association between smoking and low birth weights, both descriptive and inferential statistical analyses would be appropriate.