Standard deviation is a statistical measure that quantifies the amount of variation or dispersion in a set of values. In simpler terms, it indicates how much individual data points in a dataset deviate from the mean (average) value. A low standard deviation means that the data points tend to be close to the mean, whereas a high standard deviation indicates that the data points are spread out over a wider range of values. In APA style, standard deviation is denoted by the symbol “SD” and is typically reported alongside the mean to provide a complete picture of the data’s distribution (American Psychological Association, 2022; Purdue OWL, n.d.). For instance, if you were reporting test scores for a group of students, you might say that the average score was 75 with an SD of 10, indicating that most students scored within 10 points of the average. Understanding standard deviation is crucial for interpreting data in media studies, as it helps in assessing the reliability and variability of research findings.
References
American Psychological Association. (2022). APA Style numbers and statistics guide. Retrieved from https://apastyle.apa.org/instructional-aids/numbers-statistics-guide.pdf
Purdue OWL. (n.d.). Numbers and statistics. Retrieved from https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/apa_numbers_statistics.html
Citations:
[1] https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/apa_numbers_statistics.html
[2] https://www.yourstatsguru.com/secrets/trans-statistics-in-apa-format/
[3] https://www.pindling.org/Math/Statistics1/Textbook/Appendix/APA_Style.pdf
[4] https://apastyle.apa.org/instructional-aids/numbers-statistics-guide.pdf
[5] https://www.scribbr.com/apa-style/numbers-and-statistics/
[6] https://nool.ontariotechu.ca/writing/references-and-citations/american-psychological-association/common-errors-in-apa-citation.php
[7] https://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/2011/08/the-grammar-of-mathematics-writing-about-variables.html
[8] https://www.scribbr.com/apa-style/results-section/