Which of the following statements is TRUE regarding the standard deviation?

The statement that the standard deviation measures the spread of data around the mean is accurate. Standard deviation is a statistical metric that quantifies the amount of variation or dispersion in a set of values. When the standard deviation is small, it indicates that the data points tend to be close to the mean, while a large standard deviation suggests that the data points are spread out over a wider range of values.

In the context of statistical analysis, understanding the standard deviation is crucial because it helps researchers and analysts determine how much variability exists in the data, which can inform decisions, hypotheses, and interpretations. This characteristic makes the standard deviation a vital aspect of summarizing and understanding data distributions within psychology and other fields.

The other statements do not accurately describe standard deviation. For example, stating that it only considers the mode misrepresents the way standard deviation functions, as it is based on all data points in relation to the mean, not just the mode. Saying it is always a small number is misleading, since the value of the standard deviation can vary widely depending on the data set and its spread. Finally, defining the median of the scores is off base, as the median refers to the middle value of a data set when arranged in order, rather than a