Which statement about parametric methods is accurate?

Which statement about parametric methods is accurate?

• A. Parametric methods avoid distributional assumptions.
• B. Parametric methods are nonparametric.
• C. Parametric methods rely on resampling.
• D. Parametric methods assume a specific distribution and often known parameters.

Answer: (D)

Parametric methods hinge on assuming a specific distribution for the data and typically rely on parameters that describe that distribution. That’s why the statement that they assume a specific distribution and often know the parameters is accurate. For example, many classic tests like the t-test or z-test assume normality and use the distribution’s parameters (mean, variance) in the test formulas. Because of this, statements that parametric methods avoid distributional assumptions or that they are nonparametric aren’t correct—the whole approach is built on those assumptions. The idea of relying on resampling isn’t intrinsic to parametric methods; resampling is a separate set of techniques (like bootstrap) that can be used in various contexts, including nonparametric ones. So the accurate description is that parametric methods assume a specific distribution and often have known or estimated parameters.

Parametric methods hinge on assuming a specific distribution for the data and typically rely on parameters that describe that distribution. That’s why the statement that they assume a specific distribution and often know the parameters is accurate. For example, many classic tests like the t-test or z-test assume normality and use the distribution’s parameters (mean, variance) in the test formulas.

Because of this, statements that parametric methods avoid distributional assumptions or that they are nonparametric aren’t correct—the whole approach is built on those assumptions. The idea of relying on resampling isn’t intrinsic to parametric methods; resampling is a separate set of techniques (like bootstrap) that can be used in various contexts, including nonparametric ones.

So the accurate description is that parametric methods assume a specific distribution and often have known or estimated parameters.