PSY201H1 Chapter Notes - Chapter 3: Frequency Distribution, Weighted Arithmetic Mean, Central Tendency
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Mean (arithmetic average) - the mean of a distribution is the sum of all the scores divided by the number of scores. Mean for a sample = m or x (x-bar) X-bar is used in many statistics textbooks. M is used in published research reports as the standard notation for a sample mean. Population mean formula: add all the scores in the population, divide the sum by n. We use greek letter to identify characteristics of a population (parameters) and letters of our own alphabet to stand for sample values (statistics) There are 2 alternative definitions that may give you a better understanding of this important measure of central tendency: dividing the total equally. Think of the mean as the amount each individual receives when the total ( x) is divided equally among all the individuals (n) in the distribution.
