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 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, allowing for a meaningful measure of variability.

When Computing the Variance, Why Do We Square the Deviations