A statistical question expects variability in the data.
A statistical question is one where you expect the data to vary â collecting many answers and looking at the distribution is meaningful. A non-statistical question has a single definitive answer. Statistics is about understanding patterns in variation.
Statistical Questions
Non-Statistical Questions
If different people or measurements give different answers, it's a statistical question.
Non-statistical: "What is my test score?" (one value) Statistical: "What are the test scores of all students in the class?" (many values that vary) The statistical version lets us analyze the distribution.
Remember This!
Ask: "Would different data collectors or different samples get different answers?" If yes, it's statistical. If one universally true answer exists, it's not statistical.
Which of the following is a statistical question?