Measures of dispersion

Slide 1
Measures of dispersion
◼ Learning Objectives
• Calculate common measures of
dispersion from grouped and ungrouped
data (including the range, interquartile
range, mean deviation, and standard
deviation)
• Calculate and interpret the coefficient of
variation

Slide 2
What is measures of dispersion?
(Definition)
Central tendency measures do not reveal
the variability present in the data.
Dispersion is the scatteredness of the data
series around it average.
Dispersion is the extent to which values in
a distribution differ from the average of
the distribution.

Slide 3
Why we need measures of dispersion?
(Significance)

➢ Determine the reliability of an

average
➢ Serve as a basis for the control of
the variability
➢ To compare the variability of two or
more series and
➢ Facilitate the use of other statistical
measures.
Slide 4
Dispersion Example

◼Number of minutes 20 ◼ X:Mean Time – 14.6

clients waited to see a
consulting doctor
minutes
Consultant Doctor ◼ Y:Mean waiting time
X Y 14.6 minutes
05 15 15 16 ◼ What is the difference
12 03 12 18 in the two series?
04 19 15 14
37 11 13 17
06 34 11 15

X: High variability, Less consistency.

Y: Low variability, More Consistency
Slide 5
 Characteristics of an Ideal Measure of
Dispersion
1. It should be rigidly defined.
2. It should be easy to understand and easy to calculate.
3. It should be based on all the observations of the data.
4. It should be easily subjected to further mathematical
treatment.
5. It should be least affected by the sampling fluctuation .
6. It should not be unduly affected by the extreme values.

Slide 6
 Measures of Dispersion

◼ There are two main measures of dispersion:

– The range
– Variance / standard deviation

7
Slide 7
 Measures of
dispersion
◼ Range
The range is defined as the difference between the largest
score in the set of data and the smallest score in the set of
data, XL - XS
• sensitive to extreme scores;
• compensate by calculating interquartile range (distance between
the 25th and 75th percentile points) which represents the range of
scores for the middle half of a distribution
Usually used in combination with other measures of dispersion.

10
Slide 8
 Range

Source: www.animatedsoftware.com/ statglos/sgrange.htm

10
Slide 9
 The mean deviation

◼ Measures the ‘average’ distance of each observation away from the

mean of the data

◼ Gives an equal weight to each observation

◼ Generally more sensitive than the range or interquartile range, since a

change in any value will affect it

Slide 10
 Actual and absolute deviations from
mean
A set of x values has a mean of x
◼ The residual of a particular x-value is:
Residual or deviation = x - x
◼ The absolute deviation is:

x -x

Slide 11
 Mean
deviation
◼ The mean of the absolute deviations X /X-Mean/
1 5 0.6
2 6 1.6
x x 3 2 -2.4
Mean deviation 4 7 2.6
n 5 2 -2.4
Total 22 7.2

Mean 4.4

MD 1.5

Slide 12
 The standard deviation
◼ Measures the variation of observations from
the mean
◼ The most common measure of dispersion
◼ Takes into account every observation
◼ Measures the ‘average deviation’ of
observations from mean
◼ Works with squares of residuals not absolute
values—easier to use in further calculations

Slide 13
 Standard deviation of a population δ

◼ Every observation in the population is used.

2
(x x)
Standard deviation δ
n

◼ The square of the population standard deviation is

called the variance.Variance δ2

Slide 14
 Standard deviation of a sample

◼ In practice, most populations are very large and it is

more common to calculate the sample standard
deviation.
2

Sample standard deviation s

n 1

Slide 15
Standard Deviation (ungrouped data)

X X-Mean (X-Mean)^2
1 5 0.6 0.36
2 6 1.6 2.56
3 2 -2.4 5.78
4 7 2.6 6.76
5 2 -2.4 5.78
Total 22 21.24

Mean 4.4 SD 2.3

Slide 16
Standard deviation (grouped data)
 CI f X fX X - Mean f(X-Mean)^2
15 CI
- 26 12
f 20.5
X 246
fX X - -15
Mean f(X-Mean)^2
2700
15
27 - 26
38 12
16 20.5
32.5 246
520 -15.0
-3 2700.0
144
27
39 -- 38
50 16
5 32.5
44.5 520
222.5 32.5
9 16900.0
405
39
51 -- 50
62 5
5 44.5
56.5 222.5
282.5 9.7 474.3
21 2205
51 - 62 5 56.5 282.5 56.5 15961.3
63 - 74 1 68.5 68.5 33 1089
63 - 74 1 68.5 68.5 68.5 4692.3
75 - 86 1 80.5 80.5 45 2025
75 - 86 1 80.5 80.5 80.5 6480.3
40 1420 8568
40 1420 47208.1

Mean 35.50 SD 34.76

Mean 35.50 SD 14.8
 Uses of Standard
deviation
◼ Uses of the standard deviation

– The standard deviation enables us to determine,

with a great deal of accuracy, where the values
of a frequency distribution are located in relation
to the mean. We can do this according to a
theorem devised by the Russian mathematician
P.L. Chebyshev (1821-1894).

Slide 19
 Summary

◼ Measures of Dispersion
– no ideal measure of dispersion exists
◼ standard deviation is the most important
measure of Dispersion.
• it is the most frequently used
• the value is affected by the value of every observation in the data
• extreme values in the population may distort the data

Slide 20
 REFERENCE
1. Mathematical Statistics- S.P Gupta
2. Statistics for management- Richard I.
Levin, David S. Rubin
3. Biostatistics A foundation for Analysis inthe
Health Sciences.

Slide 21
THANK YOU

Slide 22