Using R to Calculate Relative Position Statistics

There are two primary reasons why we calculate statistics for a set of data. First, we want to understand the nature of the variable, so statistics that summarize characteristics of a set of data as a whole can further our understanding. A second reason is to understanding individual cases in our data set. When you earn a score on a test, you want to know how everyone else did, right? That's because knowing the placement of your score in the entire distribution will help you better understand your performance.

Relative position statistics address this second reason: Focusing on individual scores in the context of the distribution of scores. This video demonstrates how to use R to calculate deviation scores, Z scores, and quantiles (remember, percentiles and quartiles are special types of quantiles).