MATHWITHCYE Statistics & Probability

Measures of Dispersion for Ungrouped Data

Range, interquartile range (IQR), variance, standard deviation, box plots, and the effects of data transformations.

1

Range & Interquartile Range

Measures of spread between extremities and quartiles:

$$\text{Range} = \text{Max} - \text{Min}$$
$$\text{IQR} = Q_3 - Q_1$$

IQR is resistant to outliers, unlike range.

2

Variance & Standard Deviation

Average squared deviation from the mean $\bar{x}$:

$$\sigma^2 = \frac{\sum x^2}{N} - (\bar{x})^2$$
$$\sigma = \sqrt{\sigma^2}$$
3

Effects of Data Transformation

When every data value undergoes an arithmetic operation:

Add constant $k$ ($x + k$): Mean becomes $\bar{x} + k$. Dispersion (Range, IQR, $\sigma$) remains UNCHANGED!
Multiply by $k$ ($kx$): Mean becomes $k\bar{x}$, Range $\times k$, IQR $\times k$, $\sigma \times k$, Variance $\times k^2$!

SPM Box-Plot Interpretation: Identifying Outliers & Skewness

Outlier Limits: A value $x$ is an extreme outlier if: $$x < Q_1 - 1.5(\text{IQR}) \quad \text{or} \quad x > Q_3 + 1.5(\text{IQR})$$
Skewness:
• If median line is closer to $Q_1$, the distribution is positively skewed (skewed right).
• If median line is centered, the distribution is symmetric.
• If median line is closer to $Q_3$, the distribution is negatively skewed (skewed left).