When computing the variance,why do we square the deviations from the mean?
A)To return the units of measure to their original form
B)To compensate for the fact that the number of degrees of freedom is different from N
C)To transform the raw scores into squared scores
D)To compensate for the fact that deviations about the mean always sum to zero

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Squaring the deviations from the mean ensures that positive and negative deviations do not cancel each other out, given that the sum of deviations from the mean always equals zero. This process allows for a meaningful aggregation of these deviations to measure the spread of the data.

When Computing the Variance,why Do We Square the Deviations from the Mean