When sample means of two data sets are very different, comparing sample standard deviations can be misleading.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When sample means are significantly different, comparing standard deviations directly can be misleading because the standard deviations are measures of dispersion from their respective means, not from a common value. Differences in means can significantly impact the interpretation of the standard deviations in relation to each other.

When Sample Means of Two Data Sets Are Very Different