The paradigm of statistical inference and the paradigm of statistical learning

Abstract

The starting point for the presentation of the similarities and differences between the principles of conducting statistical research according to the rules of both statistical inference and statistical learning is the paradigm theory, formulated by Thomas Kuhn. In the first section of this paper, the essential features of the statistical inference paradigm are characterised, with particular attention devoted to its limitations in contemporary statistical research. Subsequently, the article presents the challenges faced by this research jointly with the expanding opportunities for their effective reduction. The essence of learning from data is discussed and the principles of statistical learning are defined. Moreover, significant features of the statistical learning paradigm are formulated in the context of the differences between the statistical inference paradigm and the statistical learning paradigm. It is emphasised that the statistical learning paradigm, as the more universal one of the two discussed, broadens the possibilities of conducting statistical research, especially in socio-economic sciences.