A Level Psychology OCR Practice Exam

Inferential statistics are used for which of the following?

1. Summarizing data

2. Calculating central tendency

3. Inferring conclusions about a population based on sample data

4. Visualizing data distributions

The correct answer is: Inferring conclusions about a population based on sample data

Inferential statistics are primarily utilized to make inferences or predictions about a larger population based on a sample of data collected from that population. This process allows researchers to draw conclusions about the characteristics, behaviors, or trends of an entire group by examining a smaller subset. This aspect of inferential statistics is crucial because it enables scientists and psychologists to generalize findings, estimate population parameters, and test hypotheses without having to study every individual in the population. The other options provided are associated with different types of statistical analysis. Summarizing data and calculating central tendency focus on descriptive statistics, which aim to summarize and describe the features of a dataset rather than make inferences about a larger population. Visualizing data distributions also falls under descriptive statistics, as it involves creating graphical representations to aid in the understanding of data patterns. Thus, these components are integral for presenting and exploring data but do not extend to making predictions or generalizations about a wider audience like inferential statistics do.