Space saving statistics: An introduction to constant error, variable error, and absolute error.

Abstract

Research results in the field of orientation and mobility (O&M) and in related fields are increasingly being reported in terms of subjects’ constant error, variable error, and absolute error. These three descriptive statistics are used to quantify fundamentally different characteristics of distributions of spatially directed behavior. This article introduces the three statistics, illustrates them with examples, and argues that their use in O&M research and practice is a positive development for the field.