Under what circumstances is the computational formula preferred over the definitional formula when computing SS, the sum of the
squared deviations, for a sample? a. When the sample mean is a whole number.
b. When the sample mean is not a whole number.
c. When the sample variance is a whole number.
d. When the sample variance is not a whole number.
The answer is: When the sample mean is not a whole number.
Explanation:
The "Sum of Squares" <em>(SS)</em> refers to the measure of the distance from the mean. This can be computed by subtracting each of the measurements from the mean. The difference will then be squared and the measurement results will be added together. This formula is known as "definitional formula." This is preferably used when the mean is a whole number and there are only a few number of scores.
On the contrary, the "computational formula" allows the calculation of the concept values. This is preferably used when the mean is not a whole number and when there are many scores.
