The term "mean deviation from mean" refers to the average distance of a set of numbers from their mean. When spelled using IPA phonetic transcription, it would appear as miːn dɪˌveɪʃən frɒm miːn. The "m" sound at the beginning of both words is pronounced with the lips together, followed by the long "i" sound in "mean" and the short "i" sound in "deviation." The "fr" combination in "from" is pronounced as a single consonant sound, while the final "n" in both words is pronounced with the tongue touching the roof of the mouth.
Mean deviation from mean, also known as average deviation or average absolute deviation, is a statistical measure that quantifies the dispersion or variability of a dataset. It indicates the average distance between each data point and the mean of the dataset.
To calculate the mean deviation from mean, first find the mean of the dataset by summing all the values and dividing by the total number of observations. Then, subtract the mean from each individual data point to find the deviation from the mean. Absolute values of these deviations are taken to ensure that negative and positive deviations do not cancel each other out. Next, find the mean of these absolute deviations, which represents the average distance of all data points from the mean. This average is the mean deviation from mean.
The mean deviation from mean provides a measure of the dispersion of data that is relatively less sensitive to outliers compared to other measures such as variance or standard deviation. It is expressed in the same units as the original data, making it more interpretable. Smaller values of mean deviation indicate a more concentrated dataset with less variability, while larger values imply greater dispersion.
Mean deviation from mean is commonly used in various fields, including finance, economics, and quality control. It provides valuable insights into the spread of data and aids in understanding the overall pattern of variability within a dataset.