The Average Deviation

Procedure in computing
The dispersion of a set the average deviation:
of data about the
1. Find the mean for all the 2. Find the absolute difference
average of these data is cases. between each score and the mean.
the average deviation
2. Find the absolute
|x-x| = |12 − 15| = 3
difference between each score
= |17 − 15| = 2
To compute the average and the mean.
= |13 − 15| = 2
deviation of an ungrouped data, 3. Find the sum of the = |18 − 15| = 3
difference and divide by N. = |18 − 15| = 3
we use the formula:
= |15 − 15| = 0
Example: = |14 − 15| = 1
= |17 − 15| = 2
Find the average deviation of the
= |11 − 15| = 4
following data: 12, 17, 13, 18, 18, 15, 14,
3. Find the sum of the absolute
∑
17, 11
difference |x-x|.
where A.D. is the average 1. Find the mean (x).
deviation; x-x| = |12 − 15| = 3
x is the individual score; = |17 − 15| = 2
= |13 − 15| = 2
x is the mean; and

= |18 − 15| = 3
N is the number of scores. = |18 − 15| = 3
|x-x| is the absolute value of = |15 − 15| = 0
the deviation from the mean. = |14 − 15| = 1
= |17 − 15| = 2
= |11 − 15| = 4
∑ |x-x| = 20

This can be represented in
tabular form as shown below.
Importants of
Average
Deviation
Mean deviation is a statistical
measure that helps us
understand the dispersion or
variability of a dataset. It is
calculated by finding the
average absolute difference
between each data point and
the mean of the dataset.
Mean deviation provides
4. Solve for the average
valuable insights into the
deviation by dividing the
spread of data and is useful in
result in step 3 by N.
several ways
Measure of variability: It
shows how much the data
points differ from the mean,
giving us an idea of how
spread out they are. Smaller
mean deviation means less
variability, while larger
mean deviation means more
variability.
Easy interpretation: It uses the
same units as the original
data, making it easier to
understand compared to other
measures.
Comparative analysis: It
allows for comparing
variability between different
datasets, helping identify
which has more or less
dispersion.