Which statistic tells you how much variability exists in a distribution of scores?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Standard deviation measures the average amount of variability or spread of scores around the mean in a distribution. Higher standard deviation indicates more variability, while lower standard deviation indicates less variability. Therefore, it is the most appropriate option to measure variability in a distribution of scores. Central tendency (B) refers to the measure of the middle value or typical value in a distribution, while frequency distribution (C) represents the pattern of how often each score occurs in a sample or population. Correlation coefficient (D) measures the strength and direction of the relationship between two variables but does not measure the variability of scores in a distribution.

Which Statistic Tells You How Much Variability Exists in a Distribution