RANGE

The range of a set of data is the difference between its largest (maximum) and smallest (minimum) values R = Xmax - Xmin Find the range of the following data: 29, 31, 24, 29, 30, 25 1- Arrange the data from smallest to largest: 24, 25, 29, 29, 30, 31 2- Identify the minimum and maximum values: Minimum = 24, Maximum = 31 3- Calculate the range: Range = 31-24 = 7 Advantages: -Easy to compute. -Easy to understand. - Scores exist in the data set Disadvantages: - Value depends only on two scores. - Influenced by sample size. - Very sensitive to outliers. - Insensitive to the distribution of scores within the two extremes. VARIANCE The average amount that a score deviates from the typical score. Score mean = difference score Average of difference scores = 0 In order to make this number not 0, square the

difference scores (no negatives to cancel out the positives). Advantages: - Takes all data into account. - Lends itself to computation of other stable measures (and is a prerequisite for many of them) Disadvantages: - Hard to interpret. -Unit is squared - Can be influenced by extreme scores. STANDARD DEVIATION It is a standardized score which is the average deviation about the mean. It is the square root of the variance. Advantages: - Lends itself to computation of other stable measures (and is a prerequisite for many of them). - Average of deviations around the mean - Majority of data within one standard deviation above or below the mean. - Not expressed in squared units, so makes more sense descriptively. Disadvantages: - Influenced by extreme scores.