Measures of Center in Statistics

This lesson covers how to choose the best measure of center to describe a data set's distribution. It introduces key vocabulary such as outliers and summary statistics, and explains when to use mean, median, or mode based on the distribution type. Normal distributions are best described by mean and median, while skewed distributions are better represented by the median. The mode is useful in jumbled distributions with multiple modes. The lesson concludes with guidelines for selecting the appropriate measure of center.

What is an outlier in a data set?

• A value that is very close to the mean

• A value that is far from the center of the distribution

• A value that is the same as the mode

• A value that is always positive

Which of the following is NOT a measure of center?

• Mean

• Median

• Mode

• Range

In a normal distribution, which measure of center is typically the best representation?

• All of the above

• Median

• Mean

• Mode

Why is the median preferred over the mean in skewed distributions?

• The median is less affected by extreme values

• The median is always larger than the mean

• The median is easier to calculate

• The median is the same as the mode

In which situation is the mode a better choice to represent the center of a data set?

• When the data set has no extreme values

• When the data set is skewed

• When the data set has more than one mode

• When the data set is normally distributed

What is a characteristic of a jumble up distribution?

• It is symmetrical

• It has a single mode

• It has multiple modes

• It has no gaps

When is the mean a better choice to represent the center of a data set?

• When the data set has extreme values

• When the data set is symmetrical

• When the data set is skewed

• When the data set has multiple modes

Which measure of center is most affected by extreme values?

• None of the above

• Median

• Mode

• Mean

What is the best measure of center for a data set with no big gaps and extreme values?

• Range

• Mean

• Mode

• Median

Which measure of center is best for a data set with more than one mode?

• Mean

• Range

• Median

• Mode