Question

classify the study as either descriptive or inferential. explain your answer.
the table below shows data on average professional athletes salaries for the years 2005 and 2011.

sport	average salary (\\$millions)
baseball (mlb)	2.48	3.31
basketball (nba)	4.04	5.15
football (nfl)	1.40	1.90

is the study descriptive or inferential?

\\(\bigcirc\\) a. the study is descriptive, because the statistics are a summary of the average salaries of professional athletes in three sports.
\\(\bigcirc\\) b. the study is descriptive, because the statistics are used to make an estimate of the average salaries of all professional athletes.
\\(\bigcirc\\) c. the study is inferential, because the statistics are used to make an estimate of the average salaries of all professional athletes.
\\(\bigcirc\\) d. the study is inferential, because the statistics are a summary of the average salaries of professional athletes in three sports.

Explanation:

To determine if the study is descriptive or inferential, we recall the definitions: Descriptive statistics summarize or describe data from a sample or population, while inferential statistics make inferences about a larger population from a sample. Here, the table shows average salaries for three sports (MLB, NBA, NFL) – it's a summary of the data for these three sports, not making inferences about all professional athletes.

• Option A: Correct. It states the study is descriptive as the statistics summarize the average salaries of athletes in three sports.
• Option B: Incorrect. Descriptive stats don't aim to estimate all athletes' salaries (that's inferential).
• Option C: Incorrect. The data is about three sports, not estimating for all, so not inferential.
• Option D: Incorrect. Summarizing data is descriptive, not inferential.

Answer:

A. The study is descriptive, because the statistics are a summary of the average salaries of professional athletes in three sports.