Why do we square the deviation scores when calculating the variance?
A)Because squared deviation scores are in the original units of measurement of the sample
B)Because adding all the deviation scores will always give a value of zero
C)Because you cannot generate an average for negative scores

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Squaring the deviation scores when calculating variance ensures that negative deviations do not cancel out positive ones, which would happen due to the property that the sum of deviations from the mean is always zero. This allows for a meaningful measure of variability.

Why Do We Square the Deviation Scores When Calculating the Variance