What does a high standard deviation indicate about a dataset?

• A. The scores are closely grouped around the mean.
• B. The scores are widely spread out from the mean.
• C. The scores represent a small sample size.
• D. The scores are all the same value.

Answer: (B)

A high standard deviation indicates that the scores in a dataset are widely spread out from the mean. This means there is greater variability among the scores; they differ significantly from one another rather than clustering around the average value. A larger standard deviation suggests that the data points are dispersed, which can reflect a broad range of values and differences within the group being measured. This can be critical in interpreting data as it provides insight into the consistency of the measurements, revealing that the scores do not all fall close to the mean but instead show a more diverse range of results.