Range, Standard Deviation, and Variance SPSS Exercise

Any two groups of people rarely are precisely the same. In inferential statistics, it is essential to understand how groups are different from one another. We learned one way when we discussed measures of central tendency. Another way groups can be different is by how much variability within the group.

Write a 1-page paper in which you define variability and describe how it is used to report statistical results. If a paper is less than 4 pages, CIU does not require that you include a title page or abstract. You do need to include references for any citations you include.

Using

in Appendix C of the textbook, compute each group’s mean, range, standard deviation, and variance (30 reading scores and 30 math scores). Pay attention to the discussion regarding this assignment on pages 51-52 of the Salkind & Frey text. Your SPSS output should match the one on page 52.

What do the averages and standard deviations tell you about the two groups of scores? Analyze your findings and include the SPSS outputs with your narrative response. Include your analysis of what the output means regarding the data. Was there a difference between the groups? What does that mean?