a one standard deviation decrease

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a one standard deviation decrease" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used in statistical contexts to describe a reduction in a variable that is equivalent to one standard deviation below the mean. Example: "The study found that a one standard deviation decrease in test scores was associated with a significant increase in dropout rates."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

Academia

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

The estimated Local Average ITE implies a one standard deviation decrease in access to groundwater would cause welfare losses equal to 12.4% of agricultural revenue, while the estimated LATE implies observed agricultural revenue would fall by just 8.9%.

University of California, Berkeley

A one standard deviation decrease in negative attitudes towards immigration is associated with a 6.6%% higher probability that refugees stay where they had been placed.

IZA Journal of Migration

The relative coefficients refer to the results reported in columns 1 and 3 of Table 9. Considering all countries in the sample, a one standard deviation increase in average life satisfaction in the destination country has an effect that is half that of a one standard deviation decrease in the income tax rate.

IZA Journal of Migration

For example, a one standard deviation decrease in aBMD was associated with a 1.49 times increase in fracture risk in Caucasian women, but a 1.37 times increase in African American women.

Bone Research

Thus a one standard deviation decrease in beta power led to a 0.262 standard deviation increase in SRE level in the low effort range while other variables in the model were held constant.

Experimental Neurology

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

The size of these coefficients implies that one standard deviation decrease in the average time spent per correct answer or in the incidence of skipping test items is associated with 3.21 and 1.58% higher earnings, respectively, after controlling for PIAAC score in numeracy and number of years of schooling [column (9) of Table 3].

SERIEs

Main outcome measure Clinically important functional decline, defined as a functional deterioration of 5 points in five activities of daily living each scored from 0 to 3 (equivalent to one standard deviation decrease in functional ability).

British Medical Journal

A substantial part of the effect of IQ on men's mortality was mediated through their educational attainment, but a clear and significant effect of IQ persisted even once the estimates were adjusted for this variable (HR for one standard deviation increase in IQ 0.85 (95% CI 0.75 to 0.96) and for one standard deviation decrease in IQ 1.18 (95% CI 1.04 to 1.33)).

British Medical Journal

Increasing the ability of other intending science majors by one standard deviation decreases the likelihood that URM intended STEM majors graduate from college by around 43 percentage points.

IZA Journal of Labor Economics

"A one standard deviation increase in PM2.5 decreases the daily percentage returns by 11.9%, a substantial effect on daily NYSE returns," the study reports.

The Washington Post

Additionally, a one standard deviation increase temperature leads to 0.216 standard deviations decrease in moderate stunting.

BMC Public Health

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When reporting statistical results, clearly state the units of measurement for the variable being analyzed to provide context for "a one standard deviation decrease".

Common error

Avoid assuming that "a one standard deviation decrease" implies a practically significant change without considering the context and scale of the data. The importance of this decrease depends on the variable's overall distribution and the research question.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a one standard deviation decrease" functions as a statistical descriptor, quantifying the magnitude of a reduction in a variable relative to its typical spread. It provides a standardized measure of change, facilitating comparisons across different datasets. Ludwig provides several examples to illustrate its usage in varied contexts.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

60%

Academia

20%

News & Media

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "a one standard deviation decrease" is a statistical term used to describe a reduction in a variable equivalent to one standard deviation below the mean. Ludwig AI identifies it as grammatically correct and suitable for written English, particularly in scientific and academic contexts. While relatively rare in overall usage, it provides a precise measure of change relative to the data's distribution. When using this phrase, ensure the units of measurement are clearly defined to provide context, and avoid overstating the practical significance without considering the data's scale. Consider alternatives such as "a decrease of one standard deviation" or "one standard deviation reduction" for stylistic variation. The phrase's formality makes it most appropriate for technical reports, research papers, and statistical analyses.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a decrease of one standard deviation

Rephrases the sentence structure while keeping the meaning intact.

one standard deviation reduction

Focuses on "reduction" instead of "decrease", simplifying the wording.

a decline of one standard deviation

Substitutes "decrease" with "decline", offering a slight variation in vocabulary.

a one sigma decrease

Uses "sigma" as a symbol for standard deviation, common in statistical notation.

a drop of one standard deviation

Replaces "decrease" with "drop", offering an informal alternative.

a fall of one standard deviation

Alternative to "decrease" using "fall".

one standard deviation less than the mean

Explains the meaning of the phrase explicitly.

a negative shift of one standard deviation

Emphasizes the negative direction of the change.

a decrease equivalent to one standard deviation

Highlights the equivalence to one standard deviation.

a reduction equal to one standard deviation

Highlights the equality with one standard deviation.

FAQs

How do I interpret "a one standard deviation decrease" in research?

It means that the value of a variable has decreased by an amount equal to its standard deviation, indicating how much an individual data point deviates from the average. Whether this is significant depends on the context.

What's the difference between "a one standard deviation decrease" and "a one percent decrease"?

"A one standard deviation decrease" is relative to the data's spread, while "a one percent decrease" is a proportional reduction of the original value. The former reflects statistical dispersion, the latter a relative change.

When is it appropriate to use the phrase "a one standard deviation decrease" in scientific writing?

Use it when you need to report the magnitude of a change in terms of standard deviations from the mean, typically in statistical analyses where you're assessing the significance of differences or effects.

What are some alternatives to saying "a one standard deviation decrease"?

You can use alternatives like "a decrease of one standard deviation", "one standard deviation reduction", or "a one sigma decrease" depending on the context.