Meaning & use
means plot
Last updated
UK/ˈmiːnz plɒt/
US/ˈmiːnz plɑːt/
Meaning
nouncountabletechnical
A graph that shows the average score of each group in a study, often with error bars.
Grammar: Countable: one means plot, two means plots.
Patterns
- a means plot for something
- plot a means plot
The researchers included a means plot to compare the average scores of the three groups.
In the means plot, each dot represents the mean for one condition.
Word forms
| plural | means plots |
|---|
Common combinations
- plot a means plot
- The team used software to plot a means plot of the results.
- interaction means plot
- The interaction means plot showed that the effect differed by gender.
- estimated marginal means plot
- The estimated marginal means plot is often used in analysis of covariance.
Synonyms and how they differ
- bar chart
- A bar chart is a more general graph for any categorical data, while a means plot specifically shows group averages.
- profile plot
- A profile plot is similar but often used for repeated measures; a means plot is broader.
Commonly confused: means plot or mean plot?
means plot vs mean plot
Mean plot is sometimes used informally, but the standard term in statistics is means plot.
Practice
What does a means plot typically display?
Choose one answer.
A means plot shows the mean (average) for each group, not individual data points, correlations, or frequencies.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “means plot”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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