What statistical technique is used to make predictions about a population based on sample data?

The use of inferential statistics is fundamental when it comes to making predictions about a population based on sample data. This branch of statistics allows researchers to draw conclusions and make inferences about a larger group (the population) using a smaller subset of this group (the sample). By analyzing the sample data, inferential statistics employs probability theory to estimate population parameters, test hypotheses, and make predictions.

In this context, the distinction between inferential and descriptive statistics is crucial. Descriptive statistics focuses primarily on summarizing and describing the characteristics of the sample at hand, without making broader generalizations about the population. While regression analysis is a method used within inferential statistics to examine relationships between variables, it does not encompass all methods used for broader predictions about a population. Quantitative analysis refers more broadly to the use of numerical data to assess variables and may or may not involve predictions about populations. Therefore, the technique that specifically covers predicting population parameters from sample data is inferential statistics.