The range is a simple calculation of the spread of scores and is worked out by taking the lowest value from the highest value.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of the range?
Advantage: It is easy to calculate - easier than SD
Disadvantage: It does not account for distribution - doesn't measure whether the values are grouped or spread out
What is the standard deviation?
The standard deviation is a single value that tells us how far scores deviate from the mean. The larger the standard deviation, the greater the dispersion (spread) within a set of data.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of the standard deviation?
Advantage: It is more precise than the range - it includes all values
Disadvantage: It may be misleading - it can be distorted by extreme values that may not be revealed
