Al-Hikma University College

Department of Medical Laboratory

Techniques

Biostatistics
Descriptive Statistics
Measures of Central Tendency
and
Measures of Dispersion
(Continued)

Dr. Mahmoud Abbas Mahmoud Al-Naimi

Assistant Professor

2020
Measures of Dispersion
Measures of Dispersion:
A measure of dispersion conveys information regarding the
amount of variability present in a set of data.

Notes:
1. If all the values are the same
→ There is no dispersion.
2. If all the values are different
→ There is a dispersion:
3. If the values close to each other
→The amount of dispersion small.
4. If the values are widely scattered
→ The dispersion is greater.
Measures of Dispersion are:
1. Range (R).
2. Variance.
3. Standard deviation.
4. Coefficient of variation (C.V).
1.The Range (R):
 Range = Largest value - Smallest value

Note:
 Range concern only on two values

Example:
If you have the following data (Age of
10 patients):
43, 66, 61, 64, 65, 38, 59, 57, 57, 50.
Find Range?

Solution:
Range = 66 - 38 = 28
 2.The Variance:
 It measure dispersion relative to the scatter of the values
a bout there mean.
a) Sample Variance ( S 2 ) :
n

 ( x  x ) ,where x is sample mean

i
2

S 
2 i 1
n 1

Find Sample Variance of ages

x = 560 / 10 = 56
Solution:
S 2 = [(43 - 56) 2 + (66 - 56) 2 +.…..+ (50 - 56) 2 ] / (10 -1)
= 810 / 9 = 90
 b) Population Variance (  2 ) :
    ( x   ) where,(  ) is Population mean
N
2
i
2 i 1
N

3.The Standard Deviation:

 is the square root of variance= Varince
a) Population Standard Deviation = σ =  2
b) Sample Standard Deviation = S = S 2
n

 (x  x)
i
2

S i 1
n 1
Standard Deviation for grouped data

 f ( x  x ) 2

S 
n 1

Example
Height
Frequency
(cm)
165 5
168 14
171 29
174 22
177 20
180 4
183 2
Solution
Height (cm) Frequency
X f
fX (x  x ) (x  x ) 2 f (x  x ) 2
165 5
168 14
171 29
174 22
177 20
180 4
183 2
Total Ʃf= ƩfX=
 f (x  x ) 2


 f ( x  x ) 2

S 
n 1
4. The Coefficient of Variation (C.V):

 Is a measure use to compare the dispersion in

two sets of data which is independent of the
unit of the measurement .
(100 ) where (S ): Sample standard
S
 C.V 
X
deviation.
 X : Sample mean.
Example:
 Suppose two samples of human males yield
the following data:
Sampe 1 Sample 2
Age 25 years old 11 years old
Mean weight 145 pound 80 pound
Standard deviation 10 pound 10 pound
 We wish to know which is more variable.
 Solution:
 C.V (Sample1)= (10 / 145) * 100 = 6.9

 C.V (Sample2)= (10 / 80) * 100 = 12.5

 Then age of 11 years olds (sample 2) is more

variation
Dr. Mahmoud Al-Naimi