Why Are Inferential Statistical Tests Useful?

Inferential statistics helps to suggest explanations for a situation or phenomenon. It allows you to draw conclusions based on extrapolations, and is in that way fundamentally different from descriptive statistics that merely summarize the data that has actually been measured.

What are inferential statistics used for?

While descriptive statistics summarize the characteristics of a data set, inferential statistics help you come to conclusions and make predictions based on your data. When you have collected data from a sample, you can use inferential statistics to understand the larger population from which the sample is taken.

What is the purpose of inferential statistics in psychology?

Researchers typically want to infer what the population is like based on the sample they studied. Inferential statistics are used for that purpose. Inferential statistics allow researchers to draw conclusions about a population based on data from a sample.