Lesson 4: Measures of Variability and Position

Objectives:

1. Delineate the purpose of using measures of variability.

2. Define and calculate the range as a simple measure of variability and explain its
limitations.
3. Differentiate between standard deviation and variance.
4. Compute for quartile, decile, and percentile as measures of position.

A. MEASURES OF VARIABILITY

The term variability has much the same meaning in statistics as it has in everyday
language; to say that things are variable means that they are not all the same. In
statistics, our goal is to measure the amount of variability for a particular set of
scores, a distribution. In simple terms, if the scores in a distribution are all the same,
then there is no variability. If there are small differences between scores, then the
variability is small (homogenous), and if there are large differences between scores,
then the variability is large (heterogenous).

Variability provides a quantitative measure of the differences between scores in a

distribution and describes the degree to which the scores are spread out or clustered
together.

Refer to the table below to familiarize symbols used to describe values.

STANDARD TOTAL NUMBER

VARIANCE MEAN
DEVIATION OF SCORES
POPULATION µ N
SAMPLE s s2 n

The figure below shows two distributions of familiar values for the population of
adult males: part (a) shows the distribution of men’s heights (in inches), and part (b)
shows the distribution of men’s weights (in pounds). Notice that the two distributions
differ in terms of central tendency. The mean height is 70 inches (5 feet, 10 inches) and
the mean weight is 170 pounds. In addition, notice that the distributions differ in terms
of variability. For example, most heights are clustered close together, within 5 or 6 inches
of the mean. On the other hand, weights are spread over a much wider range. In the
weight distribution it is not unusual to find individuals who are located more than 30
pounds away from the mean, and it would not be surprising to find two individuals whose
weights differ by more than 30 or 40 pounds.
 The purpose for measuring variability is to obtain an objective measure of how
the scores are spread out in a distribution. In general, a good measure of variability
serves two purposes:

1. Variability describes the distribution. Specifically, it tells whether the scores are
clustered close together or are spread out over a large distance. Usually, variability
is defined in terms of distance. It tells how much distance to expect between one
score and another, or how much distance to expect between an individual score
and the mean. For example, we know that the heights for most adult males are
clustered close together, within 5 or 6 inches of the average. Although more
extreme heights exist, they are relatively rare.
2. Variability measures how well an individual score (or group of scores) represents
the entire distribution. This aspect of variability is very important for inferential
statistics, in which relatively small samples are used to answer questions about
populations. For example, suppose that you selected a sample of one person to
represent the entire population. Because most adult males have heights that are
within a few inches of the population average (the distances are small), there is
a very good chance that you would select someone whose height is within 6
inches of the population mean. On the other hand, the scores are much more
spread out (greater distances) in the distribution of weights. In this case, you
probably would not obtain someone whose weight was within 6 pounds of the
population mean. Thus, variability provides information about how much error to
expect if you are using a sample to represent a population.
Range

Range is the distance covered by the scores in a distribution, from the smallest score
to the largest score.

Formula:

Range = Highest score – Lowest score

EXAMPLE: Find the range of the following scores: 23,28,17,18,20

Range = 28 – 17

Range = 11

Characteristics of the Range

The range is probably the most obvious way to describe how spread out the
scores are—simply find the distance between the maximum and the minimum scores. The
problem with using the range as a measure of variability is that it is completely
determined by the two extreme values and ignores the other scores in the distribution.
Thus, a distribution with one unusually large (or small) score will have a large range
even if the other scores are all clustered close together. Because the range does not
consider all the scores in the distribution, it often does not give an accurate description
of the variability for the entire distribution. For this reason, the range is considered to
be a crude and unreliable measure of variability.

Standard Deviation
The standard deviation is the most commonly used and the most important
measure of variability. Standard deviation uses the mean of the distribution as a reference
point and measures variability by considering the distance between each score and the
mean. In simple terms, the standard deviation provides a measure of the standard, or
average, distance from the mean, and describes whether the scores are clustered closely
around the mean or are widely scattered.
A. RAW DATA
1. Raw Score Method

FORMULA:
(∑ 𝑋)
∑𝑋 −
𝑠= 𝑛
𝑛−1

Where: 𝑛 = 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑠

𝑠 = 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝑑𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛

𝑋 = 𝑠𝑢𝑚𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑠𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑠

𝑋 = 𝑠𝑢𝑚𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑠

Example:
Scores on Quiz Squared score
(X) X2
14 196
15 225
n=5
10 100
7 49
8 64
∑X = 54 ∑X2 = 634

Step 1: Compute for ∑X by adding all scores

Step 2: Square each score (X2)
Step 3: Compute for ∑X2 by adding all squared scores
Step 4: Use the formula to substitute the needed values

(∑ 𝑋)
∑𝑋 −
𝑠= 𝑛
𝑛−1

54
634 −
𝑠= 5
5−1

𝑠 = √12.7
𝑠 = 3.56
* The average distance of the scores from the mean is 3.56.

2. Deviation Method

FORMULA:
∑(𝑋 − 𝑋)
𝑠=
𝑛−1

Where:
𝑛 = 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑠
𝑠 = 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝑑𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛

(𝑋 − 𝑋 ) = 𝑠𝑢𝑚𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑑𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑠𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑠

Example:

Scores on Quiz Deviation score Squared Deviation score

(X) X−X (X − X)
14 (14 – 10.8) = 3.2 10.24

15 (15 – 10.8) = 4.2 17.64

10 (10 – 10.8) = -0.8 0.64

7 (7 – 10.8) = -3.8 14.44

8 (8 – 10.8) = -2.8 7.84

X= 10.8 X−X= 0 ∑( X − X) = 50.8

Step 1: Compute for the (X) mean of scores

Step 2: Subtract the mean from each score (X − X)/deviation score
Step 3: Compute for ∑ X − X by adding all the deviation scores
Step 4: Square each deviation score (X − X)
Step 5: Compute for ∑( X − X) by adding all squared deviation scores
Step 6: Use the formula to substitute the needed values
 ∑(𝑋 − 𝑋)
𝑠=
𝑛−1

50.8
𝑠=
5−1

𝑠 = √12.7
𝑠 = 3.56

* The standard distance of the scores from the mean is 3.56.

B. ORGANIZED DATA
1. Raw Score Method

FORMULA:
𝑛(∑ 𝑓𝑋 ) − (∑ 𝑓𝑋)
𝑠=
𝑛 (𝑛 − 1)

Where:
𝑛 = 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑠
𝑠 = 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝑑𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛

𝑓𝑋 = 𝑠𝑢𝑚𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 (𝑋)(𝑓𝑋)

𝑓𝑋 = 𝑠𝑢𝑚𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑓𝑋

Example:
Class Intervals f X (Midpoint of fX
each class fX
interval) (X)(fX)
15-17 4 16 64 1024
12-14 6 13 78 1014
9-11 8 10 80 800
6-8 12 7 84 588
3-5 10 4 40 160
∑f = 40 (N) ∑fX = 346 ∑ fX = 3586
 Step 1: Compute for n by adding all frequencies
Step 2: Compute for the midpoint of each class interval using the formula
𝐿𝐿 + 𝑈𝐿
2
Step 3: Multiply each class interval’s frequency with corresponding midpoint
(fX)

Step 4: Add all fX to get its summation (∑fX)

Step 5: Multiply each class interval’s midpoint with fX to get fX

Step 6: Add all the values for fX to get its summation (∑ fX )

Step 7: Use the formula to substitute the needed values

𝑛(∑ 𝑓𝑋 ) − (∑ 𝑓𝑋)
𝑠=
𝑛 (𝑛 − 1)

40 (3586) − (346)
𝑠=
40 (40 − 1)

𝑠 = 3.90

* The standard distance of the scores from the mean is 3.90

2. Deviation Method
FORMULA:
∑ 𝑓𝑑 (∑ 𝑓𝑑)
𝑠= 𝑖 −
𝑛 − 1 𝑛 (𝑛 − 1)

Where:
𝑛 = 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑠
𝑠 = 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝑑𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
𝑖 = 𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑤𝑖𝑑𝑡ℎ/𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑠𝑖𝑧𝑒

𝑓𝑑 = 𝑠𝑢𝑚𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 (𝑑)(𝑓𝑑)

𝑓𝑑 = 𝑠𝑢𝑚𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑓𝑑
 Example:

Class Intervals f d fd f𝑑
(d)(fd)
15-17 4 3 12 36
12-14 6 2 12 24
9-11 8 1 8 8
6-8 12 0 0 0
3-5 10 -1 -10 10
i=3 ∑f = 40 (N) ∑fd = 22 ∑ f𝑑 = 78

Step 1: Compute for n by adding all frequencies

Step 2: Assign the deviation value (d) by putting zero (0) on the class interval
with highest interval and count up and down.
Step 3: Multiply each class interval’s frequency with corresponding deviation
value
Step 4: Add all fd to get its summation (∑fd)
Step 5: Multiply each class interval’s deviation value with fd to get fd

Step 6: Add all the values for fd to get its summation (∑ fd )

Step 7: Use the formula to substitute the needed values

∑ 𝑓𝑑 (∑ 𝑓𝑑)
𝑠= 𝑖 −
𝑛−1 𝑛 (𝑛 − 1)

78 (22)
𝑠= 3 −
40 − 1 40 (40 − 1)

𝑠 = 3.90

* The standard distance of the scores from the mean is 3.90

Characteristics of the Standard Deviation

The standard deviation has many important characteristics. First, the standard
deviation gives us a measure of dispersion relative to the mean. This differs from the
range, which gives us an absolute measure of the spread between the two most
extreme scores. Second, the standard deviation is sensitive to each score in the
distribution. If a score is moved closer to the mean, then the standard deviation will
become smaller. Conversely, if a score shifts away from the mean, then the standard
deviation will increase. Third, like the mean, the standard deviation is stable with
regard to sampling fluctuations. If samples were taken repeatedly from populations of
the type usually encountered in the behavioral sciences, the standard deviation of the
samples would vary much less from sample to sample than the range. This property is
one of the main reasons why the standard deviation is used so much more often than
the range for reporting variability.

Variance

The variance of a set of scores is just the square of the standard deviation or
the average squared distance from the mean.

FORMULA:

𝑠 = (𝑠)

Where: 𝑠 = 𝑣𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒
𝑠 = 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝑑𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛

Example:

Computed Standard How to get the variance Variance

Deviation
s = 3.56 𝑠 = (3.56) 𝑠 = 12.67

s = 3.90 𝑠 = (3.90) 𝑠 = 15.21

Characteristics of the Variance

The variance is not used much in descriptive statistics because it gives

us squared units of measurement. However, it is used quite frequently in
inferential statistics.
Reporting Standard Deviation

In reporting the results of a study, the researcher often provides descriptive

information for both central tendency and variability. The dependent variables in
psychology research are often numerical values obtained from measurements on
interval or ratio scales. With numerical scores the most common descriptive statistics
are the mean (central tendency) and the standard deviation (variability), which are
usually reported together. In many journals, especially those following APA style, the
symbol SD is used for the sample standard deviation. For example, the results might
state:

Children who viewed the violent cartoon displayed more aggressive responses
(M = 12.45, SD = 3.7) than those who viewed the control cartoon (M = 4.22,
SD = 1.04).

When reporting the descriptive measures for several groups, the findings may be

summarized in a table. Refer to the table below for an example.

Using SPSS to Find the Range, Standard Deviation, and Variance

Problem: 10 students recorded their total number of dreams during the last 3 weeks.

7 8 8 7 3 1 6 9 3 8
 B. MEASURES OF POSITION

It determines the standing or position of a single value (score) in relation

to other values or scores in a sample or population data set. Measures of
position give us a way to see where a certain data point or value falls in
a sample or distribution. A measure can tell us whether a value is about
the average, or whether it’s unusually high or low. Measures of position are used
for quantitative data that falls on some numerical scale. Sometimes, measures
can be applied to ordinal variables— those variables that have an order, like first,
second…fiftieth.

Quartile

A distribution of test scores or data can be divided into four parts such that
25% of the test scores occur in each quarter. Thus, the first quartile cuts off the
lowest 25%, the second quartile cuts off the lowest 50%, and the third quartile cuts
off the lowest 75%. (Note that the second quartile is also the median.). The
quartiles/quartile points represent the dividing points between the four quarters in the
distribution. There are three of them, respectively labeled Q1, Q2, and Q3. To
differentiate, quartile refers to a specific point whereas quarter refers to an interval. An
individual score may, for example, fall at the third quartile or in the third quarter (but
not “in” the third quartile or “at” the third quarter).

Simply put, quartiles divide your data into quarters: the lowest quarter, two
middle quarters, and a highest quarter.
 FORMULA:
𝑁
𝑄 = 𝐿+𝑖 4 − 𝑐𝑓
𝑓𝑚

2𝑁
− 𝑐𝑓
𝑄 = 𝐿+𝑖 4
𝑓𝑚

3𝑁
− 𝑐𝑓
𝑄 = 𝐿+𝑖 4
𝑓𝑚

Where:

𝑛 = 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑠
𝐿 = 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙 𝑙𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑙𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑒 𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑠
𝑖 = 𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑠𝑖𝑧𝑒/ 𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑤𝑖𝑑𝑡ℎ
𝑐𝑓 = 𝑐𝑓 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑒 𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑠
𝑓𝑚 = 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑒 𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑠

Example: Compute for Quartiles 1, 2, and 3

Class Intervals f cf rf p cp
15-17 4 40 0.10 10% 100%
12-14 6 36 0.15 15% 90%
9-11 8 30 0.20 20% 75%
6-8 12 22 0.30 30% 55%
3-5 10 10 0.25 25% 25%
i=3 ∑f = 40 (N) ∑rf = 1 ∑ 𝑝 = 100%

Step 1: Compute for n by adding all frequencies

Step 2: Fill in the cumulative frequency column starting from the lowest CI
 Step 3: Use one of the formulas appropriate to the quartile point you are to
look for
a. First, you must identify the quartile class using one of the ff formulas
𝑄 C.I./Quartile class fm 𝑐𝑓
𝑄 𝑁 40 10 3-5 10 0
4 4
𝑄 2𝑁 2(40) 20 6-8 12 10
4 4
𝑄 3𝑁 3(40) 30 9-11 8 22
4 4

b. Proceed by substituting the values to the formula

𝑄𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑒 𝑄𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑒 𝑄𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑒

𝑁 2𝑁 3𝑁
𝑄 = 𝐿+𝑖 4 − 𝑐𝑓 𝑄 = 𝐿+𝑖 4 − 𝑐𝑓 𝑄 = 𝐿+𝑖 4 − 𝑐𝑓
𝑓𝑚 𝑓𝑚 𝑓𝑚
40 2(40) 3(40)
−0 − 10 − 22
𝑄 = 2.5 + 3 4 4 4
𝑄 = 5.5 + 3 𝑄 = 8.5 + 3
10 12 8
𝑄 = 5.5 𝑄 = 8 𝑄 = 11.5

* 25% of the scores fall below * 50% of scores fall below * 75% of scores fall below
5.5 8 11.5
* 25% of the test takers * 50% of the test takers * 75% of the scores fall
obtained a score below 5.5 obtained a score below 8 below 11.5

MEDIAN QUARTILE 2

𝑛 2𝑁
− 𝑓𝑐 − 𝑐𝑓
𝑀𝑑 = 𝐿 + 𝑖 2 4
𝑄 = 𝐿+𝑖
𝑓𝑚 𝑓𝑚
40 2(40)
𝑀𝑑 = 5.5 + 3 2 − 10 4
− 10
𝑄 = 5.5 + 3
12 12
𝑀𝑑 = 8 𝑄 = 8

Md = 𝑸𝟐

*Median is equal to Quartile 2

Decile

Deciles are similar to quartiles except that they use points that mark 10%
rather than 25% intervals. Thus, the top decile, or D9, is the point below which 90%
of the cases fall. The next decile (D8) marks the point below which 80% of the cases
fall, and so forth. Thus, deciles split the data into ten equal parts, with the first decile
cutting off the lowest 10%, the second decile cutting off the lowest 20%, and so on.

FORMULA:

𝑘(𝑛)
𝐷 = 𝐿+𝑖 10 − 𝑐𝑓
𝑓𝑚

Where:

𝑛 = 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑠
𝑘 = 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑑𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑙𝑒 𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡/𝑑𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑙𝑒 𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑓𝑜𝑟
𝐿 = 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙 𝑙𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑙𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑙𝑒 𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑠
𝑖 = 𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑠𝑖𝑧𝑒/ 𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑤𝑖𝑑𝑡ℎ
𝑐𝑓 = 𝑐𝑓 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑙𝑒 𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑠
𝑓𝑚 = 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑙𝑒 𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑠

Example: Compute for Deciles 3, 5, and 7

Class Intervals f cf rf p cp
15-17 4 40 0.10 10% 100%
12-14 6 36 0.15 15% 90%
9-11 8 30 0.20 20% 75%
6-8 12 22 0.30 30% 55%
3-5 10 10 0.25 25% 25%
i=3 ∑f = 40 (N) ∑rf = 1 ∑ 𝑝 = 100%

Step 1: Compute for n by adding all frequencies

Step 2: Fill in the cumulative frequency column starting from the lowest CI
 Step 3: Use one of the formulas appropriate to the decile you are to look for
a. First, you must identify the decile class using one of the ff formulas
𝐷 C.I./Decile class fm 𝑐𝑓
𝐷 𝑘(𝑛) 3(40) 12 6-8 12 10
10 10
𝐷 𝑘(𝑛) 5(40) 20 6-8 12 10
10 10
𝐷 𝑘(𝑛) 7(40) 28 9-11 8 22
10 10

b. Proceed by substituting the values to the formula

𝐷𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑙𝑒 3 𝐷𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑙𝑒 5 𝐷𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑙𝑒 7

𝑘(𝑛) 𝑘(𝑛) 𝑘(𝑛)

𝐷 = 𝐿+𝑖 10 − 𝑐𝑓 𝐷 = 𝐿+𝑖 10 − 𝑐𝑓 𝐷 = 𝐿+𝑖 10 − 𝑐𝑓
𝑓𝑚 𝑓𝑚 𝑓𝑚
3(40) 5(40) 7(40)
− 10 − 10 − 22
𝐷 = 5.5 + 3 10 𝐷 = 5.5 + 3 10 𝐷 = 8.5 + 3 10
12 12 8
𝐷 =6 𝐷 =8 𝐷 = 10.75

* 30% of the scores fall below * 50% of scores fall below * 70% of scores fall below
6 8 10.75
* 30% of the students got a * 50% of the students got * 70% of the students got
score of below 6 a score of below 8 a score of below 10.75

MEDIAN QUARTILE 2 DECILE 5

𝑛 2𝑁 𝑘(𝑛)
𝑀𝑑 = 𝐿 + 𝑖 2 − 𝑓𝑐 4
− 𝑐𝑓
10
− 𝑐𝑓
𝑄 = 𝐿+𝑖 𝐷 = 𝐿+𝑖
𝑓𝑚 𝑓𝑚 𝑓𝑚
40 2(40) 5(40)
− 10
𝑀𝑑 = 5.5 + 3 2
𝑄 = 5.5 + 3 4 − 10 10 − 10
𝐷 = 5.5 + 3
12 12 12
𝑀𝑑 = 8 𝑄 = 8 𝐷 =8

Md = 𝑸𝟐 = 𝑫𝟓

*Median is equal to Quartile 2 and Decile 5

Percentile

It can be seen that a percentile is a ranking that conveys information about the
relative position of a score within a distribution of scores. More formally defined, a
percentile is an expression of the percentage of people whose score on a test or
measure falls below a particular raw score. Percentile is used extensively in education
to compare the performance of an individual to that of a reference group.

Percentile is a measure that divides the distribution into 100 equal parts. Further, it is
the value on the measurement scale below which a specified percentage of the scores
in the distribution fall. For example, if 80th percentile (P80) = 65, then 80% of all
examinees scored below 65.

FORMULA:

𝑘(𝑛)
− 𝑐𝑓
𝑃 = 𝐿+𝑖 100
𝑓𝑚

Where:

𝑛 = 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑠
𝑘 = 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑒 𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡/𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑒 𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑓𝑜𝑟
𝐿 = 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙 𝑙𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑙𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑒 𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑠
𝑖 = 𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑠𝑖𝑧𝑒/ 𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑤𝑖𝑑𝑡ℎ
𝑐𝑓 = 𝑐𝑓 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑒 𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑠
𝑓𝑚 = 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑒 𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑠
 Example: Compute for Percentiles 15, 50, and 95
Class Intervals f cf rf p cp
15-17 4 40 0.10 10% 100%
12-14 6 36 0.15 15% 90%
9-11 8 30 0.20 20% 75%
6-8 12 22 0.30 30% 55%
3-5 10 10 0.25 25% 25%
I=3 ∑f = 40 (N) ∑rf = 1 ∑ 𝑝 = 100%

Step 1: Compute for n by adding all frequencies

Step 2: Fill in the cumulative frequency column starting from the lowest CI
Step 3: Use one of the formulas appropriate to the percentile you are to look
for
a. First, you must identify the percentile class using one of the ff formulas
𝑃 C.I./Percentile Class fm 𝑐𝑓
𝑃 𝑘(𝑛) 15(40) 6 3-5 10 0
100 100
𝑃 𝑘(𝑛) 50(40) 20 6-8 12 10
100 100
𝑃 𝑘(𝑛) 95(40) 38 15-17 4 36
100 100

b. Proceed by substituting the values to the formula

𝑃𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑒 15 𝑃𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑒 50 𝑃𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑒 95

𝑘(𝑛) 𝑘(𝑛) 𝑘(𝑛)

− 𝑐𝑓 − 𝑐𝑓 − 𝑐𝑓
𝑃 = 𝐿+𝑖 100 𝑃 = 𝐿+𝑖 100 𝑃 = 𝐿+𝑖 100
𝑓𝑚 𝑓𝑚 𝑓𝑚
15(40) 50(40) 95(40)
𝑃 = 2.5 + 3 100 − 0 𝑃 = 5.5 + 3 100 − 10 𝑃 = 14.5 + 3 100 − 36
10 12 4
𝑃 = 4.3 𝑃 =8 𝑃 = 16

* 15% of the scores fall * 50% of scores fall below 8 * 95% of scores fall below 16
below 4.3 * 50% of the examinees * 95% of the examinees
* 15% of the examinees scored below 8 scored below 16
scored below 4.3
 MEDIAN QUARTILE 2

𝑛 2𝑁
− 𝑓𝑐
𝑀𝑑 = 𝐿 + 𝑖 2
𝑄 = 𝐿+𝑖 4 − 𝑐𝑓
𝑓𝑚 𝑓𝑚
40 2(40)
− 10 − 10
𝑀𝑑 = 5.5 + 3 2 4
𝑄 = 5.5 + 3
12 12
𝑀𝑑 = 8 𝑄 = 8

DECILE 5 PERCENTILE 50

𝑘(𝑛) 𝑘(𝑛)
− 𝑐𝑓 − 𝑐𝑓
𝐷 = 𝐿+𝑖 10 𝑃 = 𝐿+𝑖 100
𝑓𝑚 𝑓𝑚
5(40) 50(40)
− 10 − 10
𝐷 = 5.5 + 3 10 𝑃 = 5.5 + 3 100
12 12
𝐷 =8 𝑃 =8

Md = 𝑸𝟐 = 𝑫𝟓 = 𝑷𝟓𝟎

*Median is equal to Quartile 2, Decile 5, and Percentage 50

Using SPSS to Find the Quartile, Decile, and Percentile

Problem: 10 students recorded their total number of dreams during the last 3 weeks.

7 8 8 7 3 1 6 9 3 8

Step 1: Enter the scores then, click on Analyze -> Descriptive Statistics -> Frequencies.

Step 2: This will bring up the Frequencies dialog box. You need to get the variable for
which you wish to calculate the percentile(s) into the box on the right. You can drag and
drop, or use the arrow button, as shown below.
Step 3: Once you’ve got your variable into the right column, hit the Statistics button. The
Frequencies: Statistics dialog will pop up. As you can see this allows you to choose
from a variety of measures.

Step 4: To add a percentile of your choice, select the Percentile(s) option, type the
percentile value into the textbox (where we’ve got 83), and then click the Add button.
You can repeat this process if you want SPSS to calculate additional percentiles.
Step 5: You’ll see above that we’ve also selected Quartiles (which will generate the
25th, 50th and 75th percentiles), and the Mean and Median. Once you’ve made your
selection, click the Continue button, and then click OK in the Frequencies dialog to
prompt SPSS to do the calculations.