American Psychological Association
Measures of Variability
American Psychological Association

Measures of Variability

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Beginner level

Recommended experience

3 hours to complete
3 weeks at 1 hour a week
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace
Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Beginner level

Recommended experience

3 hours to complete
3 weeks at 1 hour a week
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

  • Explain the nature and basic measures of variability.

  • Calculate and interpret variance and standard deviation.

  • Describe variability in frequency distributions.

Details to know

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Recently updated!

September 2024

Assessments

10 assignments

Taught in English

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This course is part of the Data Exploration in Psychology Specialization
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There are 7 modules in this course

This module introduces you to your PsycLearn Essentials course. Find out what’s included in this course and how to navigate the modules and lessons. You’ll also learn valuable study tips for successful learning.

What's included

2 videos8 readings

Variability matters! Look around you at the variety of people and objects you see right now. Listen to all of the different sounds you are hearing. Variability is what makes statistics (and life) intriguing. What are you interested in? Have you ever wondered why people laugh at different kinds of jokes? Or how to predict peoples’ job satisfaction? Or how people choose who they date? One key to answering any of these questions statistically is variance. Yes, it is important to know the average value of a variable, but perhaps more interesting are how observations differ from the average. In this module, we will examine different ways to calculate and interpret the variability in a variable.

What's included

1 video1 reading

In this module, we explore the definition and nature of variability in detail, and also identify basic ways of describing variability with markers in a data set such as the minimum or maximum value, or various percentiles, along with ranges defined by these markers.

What's included

2 videos4 readings3 assignments

How do we measure the variability of data if it varies each time it is recorded…and why is this important? Let’s say you have been given data from a sleep study that found that its participants slept about 7 hours each night over a month. Each night will not always equal exactly 7 hours; some nights might average less than 7 hours and some nights more than 7 hours. How can we measure this variance over the spread of the data? In this section, you learn how the measures of variability—variance and standard deviation—are calculated and when to use them. Keeping in mind examples like the sleep study will help you to think about other concrete applications of these measures as you work through this section.

What's included

4 videos5 readings3 assignments

Learn how variability can be observed in a distribution by inspecting the shape of the distribution. Just as a single measure of central tendency such as the mean usefully summarizes an aspect of a distribution in a single number while possibly masking other aspects of the distribution, the range or the standard deviation can only communicate so much, and much remains to be seen in a plot of the distribution.

What's included

1 video3 readings3 assignments

What's included

2 readings1 assignment

This module provides a variety of information and tools from the American Psychological Association (APA) that will help inspire you as you complete your coursework and plan your career goals. Get discounted access to Academic Writer, APA’s online tool for writing effectively, as well as valuable advice that will help you develop and strengthen your skillset for learning success and future employment. Additionally, explore resources on various psychological issues. This module also includes APA resources on scholarly research and writing; a list of sites providing valuable resources on diversity, equity, and inclusion in psychology education and in the professional community; resources on a career in psychology; and links to career opportunities at the APA. You can also view videos that offer tips on dealing with stress.

What's included

7 readings

Instructor

Mike Stadler, PhD
American Psychological Association
10 Courses6,588 learners

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