Understanding Standard Deviation in Group Variability

Medium Unit 1: Scientific Foundations Statistical Analysis

Statistical measures play a critical role in psychological research, helping researchers make sense of data and draw conclusions. One common statistical measure is the standard deviation, which provides insights into the variability of a data set.

Suppose a psychologist measures the anxiety levels of subjects in two different therapy groups. The standard deviation of anxiety levels in the first group is 5, while in the second group it is 10. Based on this information, which of the following statements is most accurate regarding the variability of anxiety levels in the two groups?

The first group's anxiety levels are more variable than the second group's.

The second group's anxiety levels are less variable than the first group's.

Both groups have the same variability in anxiety levels.

The first group has less variability in anxiety levels than the second group.

Variability cannot be determined from the standard deviation alone.

Hint

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