Which statement about descriptive statistics is true?

Which statement about descriptive statistics is true?

• A. They only apply to inferential conclusions
• B. They assess causality
• C. They describe the data's typical values and variability
• D. They replace the need for randomization

Answer: (C)

Descriptive statistics summarize what the data look like by describing its central tendency and how spread out the values are. They tell you typical values with measures like the mean or median and show variability with metrics like the standard deviation, range, or interquartile range. This is exactly what descriptive statistics do: they provide a concise picture of the data you have. They don’t establish causality, nor do they generalize findings to a larger population or replace the need for randomization. Inferential and causal conclusions require other methods beyond simply describing the data, so describing typical values and variability is the defining feature of descriptive statistics.

Descriptive statistics summarize what the data look like by describing its central tendency and how spread out the values are. They tell you typical values with measures like the mean or median and show variability with metrics like the standard deviation, range, or interquartile range. This is exactly what descriptive statistics do: they provide a concise picture of the data you have. They don’t establish causality, nor do they generalize findings to a larger population or replace the need for randomization. Inferential and causal conclusions require other methods beyond simply describing the data, so describing typical values and variability is the defining feature of descriptive statistics.