Which of these options is considered a measure of dispersion?

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Prepare for the University of Central Florida GEB4522 Data Driven Decision Making Exam 2. Utilize interactive quizzes, flashcards, and detailed explanations to excel in your test. Enhance your decision-making skills and ace the exam!

Variance is indeed considered a measure of dispersion. It quantifies how much the values in a dataset deviate from the mean (average) of that dataset. In practical terms, variance provides insight into the spread of the data points; a larger variance indicates that the data points are more spread out from the mean, while a smaller variance suggests that they are closer to the mean. Understanding variance is crucial in data analysis, as it helps to assess variability, consistency, and reliability of the data.

On the other hand, the mode is a measure of central tendency, specifically identifying the most frequently occurring value in a dataset, instead of its spread or dispersion. The moving average is a technique used to smooth out fluctuations in data over time, typically used for trend analysis rather than measuring dispersion. Thus, variance distinctly fits the definition of a measure of dispersion among the provided options.