What does a high standard deviation indicate about a data set?

A high standard deviation in a data set indicates that the values are spread out widely from the mean. This means that there is a significant amount of variability or dispersion among the data points. In contrast, a low standard deviation would suggest that the data points tend to be closer to the mean, indicating less variability.

When evaluating standard deviation, one can observe how far individual data values lie from the average. Therefore, a high standard deviation underscores that not only are the values differing substantially from the mean, but there is also a greater range of values present in the data set. This characteristic highlights the diversity or inconsistency in the data, which can be essential in various analyses where understanding the spread is key to interpreting results accurately.