Which statement best describes descriptive statistics?

Which statement best describes descriptive statistics?

• A. They summarize data.
• B. They test hypotheses about populations.
• C. They estimate population parameters.
• D. They determine causality.

Answer: (A)

Descriptive statistics are about summarizing what the data show. They take a large set of numbers and reduce it to concise descriptors like the mean, median, mode, range, standard deviation, or simple graphs, all aimed at describing the observed data itself without making broader inferences. This is why the best statement is that descriptive statistics summarize data. The other ideas involve moving beyond the data you have. Hypothesis testing and estimating population parameters are inferential tasks: they use the sample to draw conclusions about a larger population. Determining causality goes further, requiring experimental control or careful design to distinguish cause from correlation. Descriptive statistics stay focused on describing the data you observed, not on inferring or proving relationships beyond that data.

Descriptive statistics are about summarizing what the data show. They take a large set of numbers and reduce it to concise descriptors like the mean, median, mode, range, standard deviation, or simple graphs, all aimed at describing the observed data itself without making broader inferences. This is why the best statement is that descriptive statistics summarize data.

The other ideas involve moving beyond the data you have. Hypothesis testing and estimating population parameters are inferential tasks: they use the sample to draw conclusions about a larger population. Determining causality goes further, requiring experimental control or careful design to distinguish cause from correlation. Descriptive statistics stay focused on describing the data you observed, not on inferring or proving relationships beyond that data.