Question

From analyzing a dataset called BCD, you obtained the following numbers: a) an average value of 55 and a standard deviation of 5.6 using {=AVERAGE(number1, [number2], ...)} and {=MIN(number1, [number2], ...)}, respectively in your MS Excel. b) an average value of a variable is 33, and that value likely suggests the same value in the population. Required: Identify whether the situations a) and b) can be best classified as descriptive statistics or inferential statistics with proper reasoning.

Answer 1

(a) provides average of data and standard deviation of the same .

And, (b) gives the average value of the variables.

Both the cases are classified as Descriptive statistics.

Mean is the measure of Central tendency and standard deviation is the measure of spread of data.

This is concerned with summarising data, organising the data and simplifying the data.Since here the mean and s.d helps to organise the data in a meaningful manner.So this is classified as Descriptive statistics.