Squared deviations from the mean

Squared deviations from the mean is a way to measure how much each number in a group is different from the average (mean) of the group. It is a way to show how spread out from each other all the numbers in a group are. To figure out the squared deviation from the mean, you take each number in the group and subtract the mean from it. Then you take that answer and square it (which means multiply it by itself). Then you add all the squared answers together. This number gives you a measure of the spread of all the numbers in the group.