Inference Basics: Learn It 1

  • Describe a population and sample of interest.
  • Use technology to find sample statistics from a sampling distribution.

A classroom setting with students engaged in a discussion. In the foreground, a young woman with long dark hair gestures expressively with her hands as she speaks, wearing a pink top. To her left, a young man with curly hair, wearing a grey shirt, rests his chin on his hand, looking attentively towards her. In the background, two more students are visible, one of whom is slightly out of focus.

Parameters vs. Statistics

parameters & statistics

In statistics, when we want to describe the characteristics of a sample, we call those values statistics. However, when we want to describe the characteristics of a population, we call those values parameters. 

 

Remember:

  • A statistic describes a characteristic of a sample.
  • A parameter describes a characteristic of a population.

In 2021, Northern Arizona University (NAU) achieved a federal designation of Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), when Hispanic student enrollment exceeded [latex]25[/latex] percent in the university.[1]

[2]For Fall 2022, Northern Arizona University reported the following enrollment data:

IPEDS Ethnicity/Race (unduplicated; one value per student) Full-time Part-time Total
American Indian/Alaska Native (3%) 639 202 841
Asian (3%) 505 320 825
Black/African American (3%) 607 226 833
Hispanic/Latino (25%) 5,668 1,292 6,960
Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Island (<1%) 58 10 68
Non-resident Alien (International) (3%) 904 40 944
Not Specified (3%) 329 434 763
Two or more (5%) 1,280 225 1,505
White (55%) 12,745 2,606 15,351
Total 22,735 5,355 28,090
  1. https://nau.edu/impact/hispanic-serving-institution/ ↵
  2. https://in.nau.edu/institutional-research/quick-facts/ ↵