Descriptive statistics is the branch of mathematics psychologists use to summarize, organize, and present numerical data in a usable form. By calculating measures of central tendency and variability, you can quickly see both the typical response in a sample and how spread out the scores are.
Exams frequently test the differences between mean, median, and mode, especially the point that the median is the most accurate measure when a dataset has extreme outliers. Students often mix up standard deviation and range; here’s a way to remember it: standard deviation uses all the scores to find their average distance from the mean, while range just subtracts the lowest score from the highest. Also be ready to state that in a perfectly normal distribution, the mean, median, and mode are exactly identical.
Part of Basic Psychology, module “Research Methods & Statistics”. Sign in (free) to read the full notes, flashcards and the lesson quiz.