Which of the following best describes descriptive statistics?

Descriptive statistics are specifically designed to summarize and provide insight into the characteristics of a dataset. This includes various measures such as the mean, median, mode, range, and standard deviation, which together help to convey important information about the data's central tendency, dispersion, and overall distribution. By summarizing the data, descriptive statistics enable researchers and analysts to easily interpret and communicate the essential features of the dataset without making predictions or inferences about a larger population.

In contrast, making predictions about a population involves inferential statistics, which are focused on drawing conclusions beyond the immediate dataset. The variability of data is indeed an important aspect of statistical analysis, but it does not encompass the full scope of what descriptive statistics aim to achieve. Lastly, the requirement of experimental manipulation is associated with experimental design rather than the summarization and description of existing data. Thus, the statement that accurately encapsulates the role of descriptive statistics is that they summarize and describe the characteristics of a data set.