Mean Mode Median
Mean Mode Median
These indices locate the center of the frequency distribution curve. The mode, median, and mean are three indices of central tendency: Mode = the most frequently occurring observation Median = that measurement level below which half the observations fall, the 5th percentile Mean = sum of the observed measurements Number of observations For any symmetrical distribution, the mean, median, and mode will be identical.
The sum of negative deviations from the mean exactly equals the sum of positive deviations from the mean.
-Mathematical center of a distribution. -Good for interval and ratio data. -Does not ignore any information. -Inferential statistics is based on mathematical properties of the mean.
Disadvantages:
-Influenced by extreme scores and skewed distributions. -May not exist in the data.
The Median
The middle of a set of data that has been put into ascending or descending order.
It is the value that divides a set of data into two halves, with one half of the observations being larger than the median value, and one half smaller.
Disadvantages:
- May not exist in the data. - Does not take actual values into account.
The Mode
The value that occurs most often in a set of data. There may be more than one mode for a distribution of data.
Disadvantages:
- Ignore most of the information in a distribution. - Small samples may not have a mode - More than one mode might exist.
Mode
Median
Mean
Mean
Median
Mode
Measures of Location
Median Quartiles Deciles Percentiles