WEEK 2: MEASURES OF VARIABILITY

 In module #3, the different measures of central tendency (mean, median & mode) and point measures (percentile,
decile & quartile) were discussed. However, these measures do not give us the total picture of the samples we have
measured. They do not give us information on how the data are scattered or provide a mass description of the data. It
is therefore necessary to have measures of variation or dispersion to describe better the characteristics of a set of
data.
 The variation of one measurement from another is an enduring characteristic of any sample of measurements. But if a
sample is only one which involves only one score, there is no variation. Variation occurs in a study if it involves many
subjects with different scores or sets of observations.
 While measures of central tendency/location describe the typical or representative values, measures of
variability/variation describe the degree of dispersion, scatter or spread of scores in a distribution

Two types of measures of variability:

1. Absolute Variability
 Range
 Quartile Deviation
 Average/Mean Deviation
 Variance
 Standard Deviation
2. Relative Deviation
 Coefficient of Variation
 Coefficient of Quartile Deviation

THE RANGE

 The simplest and easiest measure of variability; easily obtained and readily understood. However, since its
magnitude depends on the extreme values of the set of data (the highest and the lowest), it is the most
unreliable.
 Two types: exclusive and inclusive range. The exclusive range (ER) is the difference between the largest and
the smallest scores in a given distribution; whereas the inclusive range (IR) is the difference between the
exact upper limit of the class interval containing the largest score and the exact lower limit of the class interval
containing the smallest score.

EXAMPLE:
Highest Score = 10 Lowest Score = 3
THEN:
ER= 10-3 IR = 10.5 – 2.5
=7 =8
NOTICE that the IR is 1 more than the ER. The IR is therefore equal to the highest score minus the
lowest score plus one.

USES OF THE RANGE

The range is used when:
1. the data are too scant or too scattered to justify the computation of a more precise measure
of variability.
2. a knowledge of extreme scores or a total spread is all that is wanted.
QUARTILE DEVIATION
 When the interquartile range is divided by 2, the quotient is termed as semi-interquartile range, or quartile
deviation, which may be abbreviated as Q.
 The quartile deviation is a more representative measure of variability than the overall range since it is
independent or is not affected by the extreme scores in the distribution.
 The formula for quartile deviation is:
Q = P75 – P25 OR Q = Q3 –Q1
2 2

USES OF THE QUARTILE DEVIATION

We use the quartile deviation when:
1. the median is the preferred measure of central location.
2. there are scattered or extreme scores which would influence the standard deviation
disproportionately.
3. there is concentration around the median; the middle 50% of the cases is of primary interest.

AVERAGE OR MEAN DEVIATION

 The simplest method of taking into account the variation of all the items in a series from the point of central tendency
which may either be the mode, the median or the mean.
  The sum of the absolute deviations of the arithmetic mean divided by the number of cases.

LIMITATIONS:
1. Since it is based upon all the deviations, it may be inflated by a single extreme value.
2. The use of the absolute values of the deviations in its computation accounts for its infrequent use in statistical
theory.

VARIANCE AND STANDARD DEVIATION

 Like the average deviation, the variance and the standard deviation are based on the deviations of all the scores in
the series. Unlike the average deviation, however, which is reckoned either from the mean, mode or median, the
variance and the standard deviation are always computed from the mean.
 Another difference is that the signs of the deviations are disregarded in computing these two measures of variation.
The negative signs are eliminated by squaring the deviations. The squared deviations are added then divided by the
number of cases n. The result is called the variance. The square root of the variance, on the other hand, is known as
the standard deviation which is expressed not in terms of square units as the variance, but in terms of the linear unit
of measurement of the given quantity. For example, in terms of the variable length, variance maybe expressed in
square feet or square meters, while standard deviation will be in feet or meters.

INTERPRETATION OF THE STANDARD DEVIATION

The greater the value of the standard deviation, the more the scores scatter from the mean. The smaller its
value is, the closer the scores are from the mean.

USE OF THE STANDARD DEVIATION

The standard deviation is used when:
1. The statistic having the greatest stability is desired.
2. Coefficients of correlation and other statistics are to be computed later.
3. The mean is the preferred measure of central tendency.

CHOICE OF AN APPROPRIATE ABSOLUTE MEASURE OF VARIATION

The choice of an absolute measure of variation to use depends on the following considerations:

1. Use the STANDARD DEVIATION

a. When the statistic with the greatest reliability or constancy in repeated samples is wanted. The
statistics of dispersion, from the most reliable to the least reliable, are in the given order: standard
deviation, average deviation, semi-interquartile range, or quartile deviation and range.
b. If further statistical computations are needed for the given data, such as coefficients of correlation,
estimating the difference between two means, and others.
c. When the mean is the measure of central tendency used.
d. If there are no extreme scores or if the distribution is not greatly skewed.

2. Use the QUARTILE DEVIATION when

a. the measure of central tendency is markedly skewed.
b. The measure of central location used is the median.
c. There are extreme measures.
d. The distribution is open-ended or has unequal class intervals.
e. The interest is on the actual score limits or range of the middle 50% of the observations.

3. Use the AVERAGE DEVIATION when

a. there are extreme deviations since extreme values inflate the average deviation somewhat less than the
standard deviation. The quartile deviation, however, give less importance to extreme scores than the
average deviation, and is therefore preferable in markedly skewed distributions.
b. fairly unreliable index of dispersion is wanted without computing the standard deviation.

4. Use the RANGE when

a. the quickest estimate of variation is needed.
b. Information regarding the total spread between the highest and the lowest scores is desired.

MEASURES OF RELATIVE VARIATION

 Appropriate if the units of measurement are different between two or more distribution and/or their means
are different.
 These measures are expressed not in terms of the original units of the distribution but in terms of
percentage (COEFFICIENT OF VARIATION) and ratio (STANDARD SCORES).

COEFFICIENT OF VARIATION
 Expresses the standard deviation as a percentage of the mean.
  Can be used to compare the variability of two or more distributions even when the observations are
expressed in different units of measurement.

STANDARD SCORES
 Tells the relative location of a particular raw score with regard to the mean of all the scores in a
series.
 Raw scores are scores or measurements which are expressed in the form in which they were
originally obtained, like test scores and weight and height measurements.
 Standard scores are transformed raw scores. The transformation is made by subtracting the mean
from the given raw score and dividing the difference by the standard deviation of the series of raw
scores.
 Standard scores, therefore, are expressed in terms of standard deviation units from the mean.
 The mean of standard scores is ZERO. Hence, a positive standard score indicates that the
transformed raw score is above or higher than the mean, while a negative standard score shows
that the given raw score is below or lower than the mean.
 The formula for transforming a raw score to a standard score, represented by z, is:

Z= x - x
S
 Standard scores are usually used to compare observations in two or more different standard
deviations. They are also used to compare raw scores from two or more distributions which are
expressed in different measurement units like final grades and achievement test scores.
 T-scores are another type of standard scores. A z score may be converted to a t score with the
formula:
T= 10z + 50
 If z scores are converted to t scores, then one does not have to manipulate with negative values
since t scores are all positive.

SKEWNESS
 The asymmetrical distribution of a set of data in a scale with respect to its arithmetic mean. A
distribution can be positively or negatively skewed.
 A positively skewed distribution tapers more to the right, which means concentration of the values
is below the arithmetic mean.
 A negatively skewed distribution tapers more to the left, which means concentration of values is
above the arithmetic mean.
 When the mean is larger than the median, the distribution is skewed to the right. When the mean
is lower than the median, then the distribution is skewed to the left.
 In a normal distribution, sk=0. If sk has a negative value, then the distribution is skewed to the
left. If sk has a positive value, the distribution is skewed to the right. The greater the value of sk departs from zero, the
more skewed or asymmetrical is the distribution. The nearer the distribution is to normal, the closer to zero is the value of
sk.

KURTOSIS
 A measure of the degree of peakedness or flatness of a distribution. When the distribution is normal, ku=3. If ku is
less than 3, the distribution is platykurtic or less peaked than the normal curve. If ku is greater than 3, the distribution is
leptokurtic or more peaked than the normal curve.

USES OF SKEWNESS AND KURTOSIS

The measures of skewness and kurtosis indicate the extent of departure of a distribution from normality and
permit comparison of two or more distributions.