Which statement best describes descriptive statistics?

Which statement best describes descriptive statistics?

• A. Descriptive statistics summarize data.
• B. Descriptive statistics test hypotheses about populations.
• C. Descriptive statistics estimate population parameters.
• D. Descriptive statistics determine causality in relationships.

Answer: (A)

Descriptive statistics are the tools used to summarize and describe the main features of a dataset. They capture what the data look like in a concise way—measures of center (like the mean, median, mode), measures of spread (such as range, variance, standard deviation), and aspects of shape (like skewness). This makes the statement that descriptive statistics summarize data the best match. They focus on the data you have and do not try to infer things about a larger population, test hypotheses, estimate population parameters, or establish causal relationships. Those tasks belong to inferential statistics, which go beyond simple description to make claims about beyond-sample evidence.

Descriptive statistics are the tools used to summarize and describe the main features of a dataset. They capture what the data look like in a concise way—measures of center (like the mean, median, mode), measures of spread (such as range, variance, standard deviation), and aspects of shape (like skewness). This makes the statement that descriptive statistics summarize data the best match. They focus on the data you have and do not try to infer things about a larger population, test hypotheses, estimate population parameters, or establish causal relationships. Those tasks belong to inferential statistics, which go beyond simple description to make claims about beyond-sample evidence.