
The sample standard deviation formula looks like this: Formula When you collect data from a sample, the sample standard deviation is used to make estimates or inferences about the population standard deviation. The population standard deviation formula looks like this: Formula When you have collected data from every member of the population that you’re interested in, you can get an exact value for population standard deviation. Standard deviation formulas for populations and samplesĭifferent formulas are used for calculating standard deviations depending on whether you have collected data from a whole population or a sample.

NoteFor non-normal distributions, the standard deviation is a less reliable measure of variability and should be used in combination with other measures like the range or interquartile range. The empirical rule is a quick way to get an overview of your data and check for any outliers or extreme values that don’t follow this pattern.


The standard deviation reflects the dispersion of the distribution. However, their standard deviations ( SD) differ from each other. The mean ( M) ratings are the same for each group – it’s the value on the x-axis when the curve is at its peak. Example: Comparing different standard deviationsYou collect data on job satisfaction ratings from three groups of employees using simple random sampling. When you have the standard deviations of different samples, you can compare their distributions using statistical tests to make inferences about the larger populations they came from. Many scientific variables follow normal distributions, including height, standardized test scores, or job satisfaction ratings. The standard deviation tells you how spread out from the center of the distribution your data is on average. Most values cluster around a central region, with values tapering off as they go further away from the center. In normal distributions, data is symmetrically distributed with no skew. Standard deviation is a useful measure of spread for normal distributions. Frequently asked questions about standard deviation.Why is standard deviation a useful measure of variability?.

Steps for calculating the standard deviation by hand.Standard deviation formulas for populations and samples.
