Describing Data Distribution with Mean Absolute Deviation

This lesson explains how to describe data distribution using mean absolute deviation (MAD). It begins with a review of calculating the mean and understanding absolute value. The lesson then details the steps to compute MAD, using examples to illustrate the process. A second example demonstrates MAD calculation with a different data set, highlighting how MAD indicates data spread. The lesson concludes by summarizing the key points about MAD.

What is the mean of a data set?

• The sum of all data points

• The middle value of the data set

• The average of all data points

• The difference between the highest and lowest values

How is the absolute value of a number defined?

• The number itself

• The distance from zero

• The square of the number

• The reciprocal of the number

What is the first step in calculating the mean absolute deviation?

• Order the data from least to greatest

• Find the range of the data set

• Calculate the mean of the data set

• Find the median of the data set

What does a mean absolute deviation of 1.5 indicate about a data set?

• The data points are very close to the mean

• The data set has a high mean

• The data points are widely spread out

• The data set has a low mean

In the second example, what does a mean absolute deviation of 3.8 suggest?

• The numbers are all equal

• The numbers are all negative

• The numbers are very close together

• The numbers are somewhat spread apart