Case Study

Explain how the researcher calculates the range for this dataset, and describe what this calculated value represents regarding the spread of scores in the distribution.

Case context: A psychology researcher is analyzing a distribution of self-esteem scores from a pilot study. The highest score recorded in the sample is 2424 and the lowest score is 1515. The researcher decides to compute the range to describe the variability of the self-esteem scores.

Question: Explain how the researcher calculates the range for this dataset, and describe what this calculated value represents regarding the spread of scores in the distribution.

Sample answer: The researcher calculates the range by subtracting the lowest score (1515) from the highest score (2424), resulting in a value of 99. This value of 99 represents the overall spread or the size of the interval between the two most extreme scores in the self-esteem distribution.

Key points:

  • The range is calculated by subtracting the lowest score from the highest score.
  • For this dataset, the calculation is 2415=924 - 15 = 9.
  • The value 99 indicates the total spread or distance between the two extreme scores in the distribution.
  • The range focuses exclusively on the highest and lowest scores to describe variability.

Rubric: The response must explain that the range is calculated by subtracting the lowest score from the highest score (specifically 2415=924 - 15 = 9) and clearly explain that the range of 99 represents the total span or width between the extreme high and low scores in the distribution.

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Updated 2026-05-27

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Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU

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