Primary purpose of inferential statistics

Inferential statistics
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Primary purpose of inferential statistics
In research, it is not always possible for a researcher to sample all the subjects they want to draw inference about. For instance, if a research study seeks to determine whether the use of a new technology helps to improve the performance of all long-distance truck drivers in the United States, it would be challenging to test all the truck drivers because of resources, time, and other logistical factors. As an alternative, the researcher would choose a sample of the population to conduct a study.
Consequently, the researcher would not want to limit her conclusions to the few truck drivers who participated in the research. But instead, the researcher would want to conclude that because the new technology improved performance for truck drivers in the sample, it will also enhance the performance of all truck drivers. Thus said, the primary purpose of inferential statistics is to determine whether the findings from a sample population can be used to generalize the whole community. According to Lowry (2014), inferential statistics helps to analyze results in a study and draw con...