Editing Statistical assumption (section)

{{short description|Aspect of statistics}}

[[Statistics]], like all mathematical disciplines, does not [[infer]] valid conclusions from nothing. Inferring interesting conclusions about real [[statistical population]]s almost always requires some background assumptions. Those assumptions must be made carefully, because incorrect assumptions can generate wildly inaccurate conclusions.

Here are some examples of statistical assumptions:

*[[Independence (probability theory)|Independence]] of observations from each other (this assumption is an especially common error<ref>Kruskall, 1988</ref>).
*Independence of observational error from potential [[confounding]] effects.
*Exact or approximate [[Normal distribution|normality]] of observations (or errors).
*Linearity of graded responses to quantitative stimuli, e.g., in [[linear regression]].