sampling distribution
the distribution of a statistic, such as the mean, obtained with repeated samples drawn from a population. Simulation studies allow researchers to specify known population information, conduct a very large number of repeated draws on the population, and build an empirical distribution of the statistic based on these draws (e.g., t, F, or χ2 distributions). For example, the means calculated from samples of 100 observations, repeatedly and randomly drawn from the population, yield a sampling distribution for the mean. Knowledge about the distribution of a statistic allows researchers to say when a finding from a sample is unusual (e.g., statistically significant) and when it would be expected from the statistic’s known behavior, thus enabling the sampling distribution of a statistic to be used in testing hypotheses about variables and their relationships. See also inferential test.