Focusing on describing data versus making inferences is the difference between

Focusing on describing data versus making inferences is the difference between (a) Central tendency and common tendency

(b) Mutually exclusive and mutually exhaustive

(c) Descriptive and inferential

(d) Positive skew and negative skew

✅ Correct option: (c) Descriptive and inferential

Explanation:

The difference between descriptive statistics and inferential statistics lies in the purpose of data analysis. Descriptive statistics focus on organizing, summarizing, and describing the characteristics of a specific dataset. This includes measures such as mean, median, mode, range, standard deviation, tables, and graphs. Inferential statistics, on the other hand, go beyond the immediate data and allow researchers to make predictions, generalizations, or inferences about a population based on sample data. Techniques such as hypothesis testing, confidence intervals, t-tests, and ANOVA are part of inferential statistics. Thus, when the goal is to summarize and explain existing data, descriptive statistics are used. When conclusions are drawn beyond the data, inferential statistics are applied. Hence, the correct answer is descriptive and inferential.

10 Related PPSC Facts:

Descriptive stats summarize data. Inferential stats generalize findings. Mean and SD are descriptive. Hypothesis testing is inferential. Inferential stats require samples. Descriptive stats use charts and tables. Inferential stats estimate population parameters. Sampling is essential for inference. Descriptive stats do not test hypotheses. Both are core branches of statistics.