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4.1-Descriptive-Measures

The document provides an overview of measures of dispersion, including range, variance, standard deviation, and coefficient of variation. It explains how these measures describe the spread of data in a frequency distribution and includes examples and calculations using Microsoft Excel. Additionally, it offers exercises for manual computation of these measures using different data sets.

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Nel Buenafe
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12 views

4.1-Descriptive-Measures

The document provides an overview of measures of dispersion, including range, variance, standard deviation, and coefficient of variation. It explains how these measures describe the spread of data in a frequency distribution and includes examples and calculations using Microsoft Excel. Additionally, it offers exercises for manual computation of these measures using different data sets.

Uploaded by

Nel Buenafe
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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DESCRIPTIVE

MEASURES:
Measures of
Dispersion
ARIETTE A. DE ASIS, PhD
Department of Biology
College of Arts and Sciences
Northern Iloilo State University
Measures of Dispersion

 Two main features of


frequency distribution:
1) The graph has a peak,
commonly near the
center; and
2) it spreads out on either
side of the peak.
Measures of Dispersion

a measure of dispersion is used to


describe how much spread there is in
the distribution
Measures of Dispersion

 Range
 Variance
 Standard Deviation
 Coefficient of Variation
Measures of Dispersion:
RANGE
 Thedifference between the smallest and largest
value in a set of observations.
 Inthe statistical world, the range is reported as a
single number, the difference between the
maximum and minimum.
 In
the epidemiologic community, the range is often
reported as “from (the minimum) to (the
maximum)”, i.e., two numbers.
Measures of Dispersion:
RANGE
Measures of Dispersion:
RANGE
 Example: Using the previous example where the
incubation period of 10 patients during a dengue fever
outbreak was recorded (xi : 7, 4, 3, 12, 8, 9, 6, 5, 5, 14),
the range is equal to:
R = 14 – 3 = 11 days

Interpretation: This means that the patients differed in the time when
they began presenting symptoms of dengue fever by as much as 11
days.
Measures of Dispersion:
RANGE

Compute for
the range
0, 3, 5, 9, 9, 10,
11, 13
Measures of Dispersion:
VARIANCE

 Measure of a variable’s spread or distribution


around its mean.
 Takes into account the squared deviations of
individual observations from the mean
Measures of Dispersion:
VARIANCE
Measures of Dispersion:
VARIANCE
 Example: Still from our
previous example: 7, 4, 3, 12,
8, 9, 6, 5, 5, 14
 Mean = 7.3
Measures of Dispersion:
VARIANCE
 Example: Still
from our
previous
example: 7, 4,
3, 12, 8, 9, 6, 5,
5, 14
Measures of Dispersion:
VARIANCE
Measures of Dispersion:
VARIANCE
Patient No. Incubation Period in xi2
days (xi)
1 7 49
2 4 16
3 13 169
4 12 144
5 8 64
6 9 81
7 6 36
8 5 25
9 5 25
10 14 196
Total 73 645
Measures of Dispersion:
VARIANCE
Measures of Dispersion:
VARIANCE
Calculating the variance using Microsoft
Excel:
1. Input your data into the spreadsheet in an
organized manner.
2. Select the cell directly underneath the individual
observations. In this case, cell B14.
3. Under the Formulas tab, click More Functions >
Statistical and wait for the drop down menu to
Measures of Dispersion:
VARIANCE
Calculating the variance using Microsoft
Excel:
5. A menu called Function Arguments will appear.
6. The cells of your individual observations will be
automatically selected.
7. Click on OK.
Measures of Dispersion:
VARIANCE

Calculating
the
variance
using
Microsoft
Excel:
Measures of Dispersion:
VARIANCE
Calculating the variance using
Microsoft Excel:
Measures of Dispersion:
VARIANCE

Compute for
the variance
0, 3, 5, 9, 9,
10, 11, 13
Measures of Dispersion:
STANDARD DEVIATION
 Simply the square root of the variance
 Note that the units of measurement for the
variance are in units square (e.g. grams2,
meters2). This is a major drawback for the
variance’s use as a measure of dispersion –
it is difficult for most people to think in
terms of squared units.
 The formula for the sample standard
Measures of Dispersion:
STANDARD DEVIATION

Interpretation: This means that on average, the incubation period


of patients affected by the dengue fever outbreak is ± 3.5 units away
from the mean (7.3 ± 3.5).
Measures of Dispersion:
STANDARD DEVIATION
Properties of the Standard Deviation
 It uses every observation in its computation.
 It may be distorted by outliers. This is because
squaring large deviations from the mean will give
more weight to these outliers.
 It is algebraically tractable.
 It is always nonnegative. A value of 0 implies the
absence of variation.
 The scale of measurement must at least be interval
Measures of Dispersion:
STANDARD DEVIATION
Calculating the Standard Deviation Using
Microsoft Excel:
 Follow the same steps as if you were calculating
variance except that you must change the function
to STDEV.P if you wish to calculate the population
standard deviation
 STDEV.S if you wish to calculate the sample standard
deviation.
Measures of Dispersion:
STANDARD DEVIATION

Compute for
the Standard
Deviation
0, 3, 5, 9, 9,
10, 11, 13
Measures of Dispersion:
COEFFICIENT OF VARIATION
A measure of relative dispersion which expresses
the standard deviation as a percentage of the
mean
May be used to compare SDs of two variables
measured in different units or used when two
means, although measured in the same unit, differ
appreciably.
The formula for the coefficient of variation is:
Measures of Dispersion:
COEFFICIENT OF VARIATION
Example: Suppose two samples of female
chimpanzees yield the following results:
Measures of Dispersion:
COEFFICIENT OF VARIATION
Example
 We wish to know which is more variable, the
heights of the 5-year old female chimpanzees or
the heights of the 15-year old female
chimpanzees.
 Comparing the standard deviation of the two
samples may mislead us that both are equally
variable.
 However, by using the coefficient of variation, we
Measures of Dispersion:
COEFFICIENT OF VARIATION
Measures of Dispersion:
COEFFICIENT OF VARIATION
Measures of Dispersion:
COEFFICIENT OF VARIATION
Measures of Dispersion:
COEFFICIENT OF VARIATION

Compute for the Coefficient


of Variation
0, 3, 5, 9, 9, 10, 11, 13
Exercises

Compute manually the range, standard deviation, and


coefficient of variation of the set of data, round to the nearest
hundredth when applicable.
1. 10, 10, 14, 16, 8, 8
2. 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15
3. 50, 75, 100, 125, 150, 175, 200
4. 1, 3, 71, 8, 92, 63
5. 10, 20, 200, 300, 400

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