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When calculating the standard deviation to simply describe a sample, the sum of squared differences is divided by $$N$$. However, when the goal is to estimate the standard deviation of the broader population, researchers divide by $$N - 1$$ to correct for the tendency of a sample's standard deviation to underestimate the population's true variability.

Sample versus Population Standard Deviation

When calculating standard deviation to estimate the broader population, why do researchers divide the sum of squared differences by $$N - 1$$ rather than $$N$$?

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