DECISION MAP FOR CHOOSING DESCRIPTIVE AND INFERENTIAL STATISTICS

*only includes the commonly used statistical tools

Prepared by: Keith Lester A. Mallorca

Statistical Tools

Inferential Statistics
Descriptive Statistics (Parametric Tests)

Measure of Central Measure of Variability Dependence/Association Significant association Significant predictor or Significant difference
Tendency or Relationship or relationship factor

Data consist of Number of separate variables/groups?

Data consist of
Measure of central two scores for frequency values
Scale of tendency? each individual for each category
Two Three or more
measurement?

Scale of measurement? Are the groups paired/matched/dependent or independent?

Nominal Ordinal Interval/ Mean Median Mode Both are One is One is
Ratio interval/ratio ordinal nominal Independent Paired/ Independent
Paired/
Matched Matched
Data are
Skewed? Linear or monotonic?
nominal?
How many Independent
Variables (IV)?
Yes No
No Yes Linear Monotonic
relationship relationship One Two

Mode Median Mean SD Range/ Semi None Pearson’s r Spearman rho Linear or multiple regression Paired t-Test or Independent Repeated Single Factor Two Factor
Chi-square
IQR Dependent t-Test T-test ANOVA ANOVA ANOVA

Non-parametric Spearman rho or Wilcoxon Signed- Mann-Whitney U Kruskal-Wallis

counterparts Chi-square Rank Test Test Test