Progressive drift of reported values from a prior mean is best described as which term?

Progressive drift of reported values from a prior mean is best described as which term?

• A. Drift
• B. Dispersion
• C. Shift
• D. Trend

Answer: (D)

A trend describes a persistent directional movement in data over time. When values progressively drift away from the prior mean in a single direction—gradually increasing or decreasing—that pattern fits a trend. It’s about where the data are headed over time, not just how spread out they are (dispersion) or a sudden change to a new level (shift). While drift can imply gradual change, in quality-control terminology the term that best captures a sustained move away from the historical mean is trend.

A trend describes a persistent directional movement in data over time. When values progressively drift away from the prior mean in a single direction—gradually increasing or decreasing—that pattern fits a trend. It’s about where the data are headed over time, not just how spread out they are (dispersion) or a sudden change to a new level (shift). While drift can imply gradual change, in quality-control terminology the term that best captures a sustained move away from the historical mean is trend.