Sets of data have many characteristics. The central location (mean, median) is one measure. But you can have different data sets with the same mean. So a measure of dispersion is used to determine whether there is a little or a lot of variability within the set. Sometimes it is necessary to look at higher order measures like the skewness, kurtosis.
Chat with our AI personalities
Dispersion is an abstract quality of a sample of data. Dispersion is how far apart or scattered the data values appear to be. Common measures of dispersion are the data range and standard deviation.
The dispersion of the data.
Central tendency will only give you information on the location of the data. You also need dispersion to define the spread of the data. In addition, shape should also be part of the defining criteria of data. So, you need: location, spread & shape as best measures to define data.
No
They describe the basic features of data. They provide summaries about the sample and the measures, and together with simple graphic analysis, they form the basis of virtually every analysis of data.