Northwestern Visayas Colleges

Kalibo, Aklan
MPA 205 – Research 2

TOPIC 5 – MEASURES OF VARIATION OR DISPERSION

UNGROUPED DISTRIBUTION : MEASURES OF VARIATION

Measure of Variability or dispersion is used to supplement the description of such data. It is a measure
that indicates how far the data is spread or scattered from central point which is either the mean or
the median. It is also a method of measuring the degree by which numerical data or values tend to
spread from or cluster about central point of average.

COMMON TYPES OF DISPERSION

1. RANGE (R) – the difference between the highest value and the lowest value.

R = HV – LV

HV – Highest Value
LV – Lowest Value

2. Quartile Deviation (QD) - also known as semi-quartile range. Is defined as the amount of
dispersion present in the middle 50% of the values.

Q3−Q1
QD =
2
Q1 – quartile 1

Q3 – quartile 3

3. Mean absolute deviation (MAD) – this measures the extent which individual value deviates
from the mean of the distribution.

MAD =
∑ ¿ X− X́ /¿ ¿
n

n – total number of samples

X – score/data
/ / - absolute deviation symbol
X – mean

4. Variance (S2) – is the average of the squared deviation values from the mean of the distribution.

S2 =
∑ ( X − X́ )
n
 NO. OF HOURS (X) FACTORY WORKERS (F)

31-34 6

35-38 5

39-42 10

43-46 12

47-50 15

51-54 9

55-58 3

i=4 n = 60

ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE:

The following table shows the number of weekly hours worked by 60

factory workers in a Candle Factory.
 (GROUPED)

COMPUTE:
1. Range
2. Quartile Deviation (QD)
3. Mean Average Deviation (MAD)
4. Variance / Sample Variance (S2)
5. Standard Deviation (SD)

 RANGE

computation to 1:
Formula to solve for range:
R = HHB - LLB

Where: HHB = highest boundary of the highest value;

LLB = lower boundary of the lowest value;
R = range

NO. OF HOURS (X) FACTORY WORKERS (F) C.B

31-34 6 30.5 – 34.5

35-38 5 34.5 – 38.5

39-42 10 38.5 – 42.5

43-46 12 42.5 – 46.5

47-50 15 47.5 – 50.5

51-54 9 50.5 – 54.5

 55-58 3 54.5 – 58.5

i=4 n = 60

(Using the same example) The following table shows the number of weekly hours
worked by 60 factory workers in a Candle Factory.

Solution: R = 58.5 – 30.5

R = 29
NO. OF FACTORY C.B <CF
HOURS (X) WORKERS (F)
31-34 6 30.5 – 34.5 6

35-38 5 34.5 – 38.5 11

(Q1) 39-42 10 38.5 – 42.5 21

43-46 12 42.5 – 46.5 33

(Q3) 47-50 15 46.5 – 50.5 48

51-54 9 50.5 – 54.5 57

55-58 3 54.5 – 58.5 60

i=4 n = 60

 QUANTILE DEVIATION
computation to 2:
Formula to solve for quantile deviation:
Q3−Q1
QD = 2

Where: Q1 = quartile 1;
Q3 = quartile 3;
QD = quartile deviation

(Using the same example) The following table shows the number of weekly hours
worked by 60 factory workers in a Candle Factory.

Q1 = XLB + ¿ ¿ Q3 = XLB + ¿ ¿
Q1 Class = n/4 Q3 Class = 3n/4
= 60/4 = 3(60)/4
 = 15th item = 45th item
Q1 class = 39-42 Q3 class = 47-50

XLB = 38.5; <CF = 11; XLB = 46.5; <CF = 33;

fQ = 10; i=4 fQ = 15; i=4

( 15−11 ) 4 ( 45−33 ) 4
Q1 = 38.5 + Q3 = 46.5 +
10 10

= 38.5 +16/10 = 46.5 + 48/15

= 38.5 + 1.6 = 46.5 + 3.2
Q1 = 40.1 Q3 = 49.7

49.7−40.1
Solution: QD = 2

QD = 4.8

 MAD or MEAN ABSOLUTE DEVIATION

computation to 3:
Formula to solve for mean absolute deviation:

MAD =
∑ f / X m− X́ /¿ ¿
n

Where: f = frequency Xm = class midpoint

X = mean n = total number of items
/ / = absolute deviation symbol
MAD = mean absolute deviation

(Using the same example) The following table shows the number of weekly hours
worked by 60 factory workers in a Candle Factory.
NO. OF FACTORY
HOURS WORKERS (F) Xm fXm /Xm - X / f/Xm - X /
(X)
31-34 6 32.5 195 12.27 73.62

35-38 5 36.5 182.5 8.27 41.35

39-42 10 40.5 405 4.27 42.7

43-46 12 44.5 534 0.27 3.24

 47-50 15 48.5 727.5 3.73 55.95

51-54 9 52.5 472.5 7.73 69.57

55-58 3 56.5 169.5 11.73 35.19

i=4 n = 60 ∑ ¿2686 ∑ 321.62

Step 1. Compute for the mean applying the formula using the group method.
To compute for mean:

x=
∑ f Xm
n

x = 2686/60 x = 44.77 (mean)

Step 2. Set up column /Xm - X /.

Step 3. Get the product of the f and the /Xm - X / column.
Step 4. Substitute in the MAD formula and solve.

Solution: MAD = 321.62/60

MAD = 5.36

 VARIANCE (S2) or SAMPLE VARIANCE

computation to 4:
Formula to solve for variance (S2) or sample variance:
S2 = n ¿ ¿
Where: f = frequency Xm = class midpoint
X = mean n = total number of items
S2 = sample variance

(Using the same example) The following table shows the number of weekly hours
worked by 60 factory workers in a Candle Factory.
NO. OF FACTORY
HOURS WORKERS (F) Xm fXm Xm2 fXm2
(X)
 31-34 6 32.5 195 1,056.25 6,337.5

35-38 5 36.5 182.5 1,332.25 6,661.25

39-42 10 40.5 405 1,640.25 16,402.50

43-46 12 44.5 534 1,980.25 23,763

47-50 15 48.5 727.5 2,352.25 35,283.75

51-54 9 52.5 472.5 2,756.25 24,806.25

55-58 3 56.5 169.5 3,192.25 9,576.75

i=4 n = 60 ∑ ¿2686 ∑ ¿122,831

2
2= 60 ( 122,831 )−(2686)
Solution: S 60(60−1)
7,369,860−7,214,596
= 3540
155,264
= 3540

S2 = 43.86

 STANDARD DEVIATION
computation to 5:
Formula to solve for standard deviation:
S D = √n¿¿¿
Where: f = frequency Xm = class midpoint
X = mean n = total number of items
S D = standard deviation

Solution: SD = √ 43.86
SD = 6.62

 TABULATING THE RESULTS

On the variation of the number of weekly hours worked by 60 factory workers.

Range QD MAD S2 SD
29 4.8 5.36 43.86 6.62
CONCLUSION:
The number of hours worked by the 60 factory workers in the Candle
Factory vary by 6.62 hours from the mean. The result means the number of hours
worked is slightly clustered around the mean which is 44.77 hours.