Data analysis: deceptive statistics

Question 1

What are the characteristics of the mean

Answer 1

• it is the most sensitive as it includes all the score/values in a data set within the calculation
• extreme values can effect the data to the extreme

Question 2

What are the characteristics of the median

Answer 2

• extreme values, aka anomalies do not effect the data, it is also easy to calculate
• less sensitive

Question 3

What are the characteristics of the mode

Answer 3

• easy to calculate

- not representative of the data as a whole

Question 4

What are the characteristics of the range

Answer 4

• easy to calculate

- only takes into account the two most extreme values so its unrepresentative

Question 5

What is the standard deviation & what are its characteristics

Answer 5

• a more sophisticated measure of dispersion that tells us how far scores deviate
• more precise measure than the range as it takes into consideration all of the values within the calculation
• however just like the mean it can be effected by one extreme value

Question 6

What does a large standard deviation suggest

Answer 6

• that not all ppts were effected by the IV in the same way as the data is so wide spread, may be that there are a few anomalous results

Question 7

What does a low standard deviation suggest

Answer 7

• the data are tightly clustered around the mean which may imply the ppts responded in a fairly similar way