6.10 Ideal number of children Let X denote the response of a randomly selected person to the question, “What is the ideal number of children for a family to have?” The probability distribution of X in the United States is approximately as shown in the table, according to the gender of the person asked the question.

a. Show that the means are similar, 2.50 for females and 2.39 for males.

b. The standard deviation for the females is 0.770 and 0.758 for the males. Explain why a practical implication of the values for the standard deviations is that males hold slightly more consistent views than females about the ideal family size.

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Probability Distribution of X = Ideal Number of Children P(x) Females P(x) Males 0 0.01 0.02 1 0.03 0.03 2 0.55 0.60 3 0.31 0.28 4 0.11 0.08