Which statistical measures summarize the "middle" portion of a sample dataset?

The answer identifying measures of central tendency as the statistical measures that summarize the "middle" portion of a sample dataset is accurate. Measures of central tendency specifically aim to provide a central or typical value for a dataset. This includes key statistics like the mean, median, and mode, which condense the entire dataset into a single representative value that reflects the center of the data distribution.

Using these measures allows practitioners to gain insights into the dataset's general characteristics, making it easier to understand and communicate the data's overall behavior. For instance, the mean gives an average value, the median indicates the middle value when the dataset is ordered, and the mode identifies the most frequently occurring value.

Descriptive statistics, while covering a broader range of data summary techniques, include measures of central tendency but also encompass other elements such as variability, distribution shape, and range. Therefore, while descriptive statistics are important, they do not solely focus on the middle portion of the dataset.

Inferential statistics involves drawing conclusions about populations based on sample data, which goes beyond summarizing the dataset into central values. This type of analysis often requires confidence intervals and hypothesis testing.

Variance measures, on the other hand, are concerned with the spread or dispersion of the data rather than its central tendency.