Republic of the Philippines

SORSOGON STATE UNIVERSITY

College of Teacher Education
School of Graduate Studies
Sorsogon City Campus
Magsaysay St., Sorsogon City

MEASURES OF POSITION: APPROACHES AND IMPORTANCE

Educ 503: STATISTICAL METHODS

Submitted by:

Group VI (Gotladera, J,G, Hagos, J. S, Martines, M. B., & et.al.)

Submitted to:

MR. MICHAEL DOMANAIS

Professor
 Measures of Position: Approaches and Importance

Description

Measurement and evaluation are the essential inseparable tools establishing the
academic performance of the students in the classroom. It significantly contributes
in quantifying the intellectual ability and in making the relevant and in making
available the relevant characteristics of the students that paved the way to the
formulation of the various strategies of teaching just to ascertain that effective
learning would be achieved.

It also helped the school administrators intensively when it came to the appraisal
of the entire school operation. With the data made available, they are able to
determine the strengths and weaknesses of the entire school and educational
system and as such they are in the best position to maintain and intensify the
strengths and to put forth remedy for the revealed weaknesses. It has also been
utilized as instruments of different researches and evaluation; and have been
employed too in the analysis and interpretation of data obtained through certain
measurements.

A measure of position is one of the different descriptive statistical measures. It is

a method by which the position that a particular data value has within a given data
set can be identified. It is used in statistics to give us a way to see where a certain
data point or value falls in a sample distribution. It is used for quantitative data that
falls on some numerical scale. It uses different approaches such as: 1. Box and
Whiskers Plot, 2. Deciles, 3. Five Number Summary, 4. Interquartile Range (IQR),
5. Outliers, 6. Percentiles, 7. Quartiles, 8. Standard Scores (i.e z-scores), 9.
Tukey’s upper hinge and lower hinge. It also allows us to compare values from
different distributions. The measures of position give a range where a certain
percentage of the data fall. Sometimes, measures can be applied to ordinal
123
variables that have an order, like first, second, third, .. etc.

Objectives
1. Define what is Measures of Position
2. To illustrate the different approaches of Measures of Position
3. To interpret and solve problems involving measures of position.

Discussion

Measures of position give us a way to see where a certain data point or value falls
in a sample or distribution. A measure can tell whether a value is about the
average, or whether it’s usually high or low. Measures of position are used for
quantitative data that falls on some numerical scale. Sometimes, it can be applied
to ordinal variables that have an order, like first, second, third, etc. It can also
show how values from different distributions or measurements scales compare.
For example, a person’s height (measured in feet), and weight (measured in
pounds) can be compared by converting the measurements to z-scores.

Common Measures of Position

1. Box and Whiskers Plot,
2. Deciles,
3. Five Number Summary,
4. Interquartile Range (IQR),
5. Outliers,
6. Percentiles,
7. Quartiles,
8. Standard Scores (i.e, z-scores)
9. Tukey’s upper hinge and lower hinge
 1. Box and Whiskers Plot - shows the spread and center of data. It is a
graphical representation of the five number summary: minimum, maximum,
median, and the first and third quartiles.
2. Deciles - are similar to quartiles. But where quartiles split the data into four
equal parts, deciles split the data into ten parts: The 10th, 20th, 30th, 40th,
50th, 60th, 70th, 80th, 90th, and 100th percentiles.
3. Five Number Summary - It is an overview of your data. The statistics in the
summary are the smallest value (minimum), the largest (maximum), the
middle (median), and the first and third quartiles.
4. Interquartile Range (IQR) - It tells you where the “middle fifty” is in a data
set. While the range tells you where the beginning and end are in a set, the
IQR shows you where the bulk of the “middling” values lie.
5. Outliers - are unusual values that fall outside of an expected range of
values. For example, if you’re measuring IQ values of children, your statistics
would be thrown off if Einstein and Stephen were in your class; their IQs
would be outliers.
6. Percentiles - Is a number where a certain percentage of scores fall below
that number. For example, a 90th percentile marks the spot where 90% of
values fall below that cut-off point.
7. Quartiles - Simply put, quartiles divide your data into quarters; the lowest
quarter, two middle quarters, and a highest quarter.
8. Standard scores (i.e. z-scores) - are a way to compare results from a test to
a “normal population.
9. Tukey's upper hinge and lower hinge - are created when you split a data
set into four pieces (with three hinges). As the median is included in this
“splitting”, Tukey’s hinges are sometimes called inclusive quartiles.

Illustrative Examples on Measures of Position

1. Box Plot - It divides the data into sections containing approximately 25% of
the data in that set. For example, Consider the following data gathered by
Mr. Borja in his class on Philosophy from 15 items given; such as: 1, 7, 11,
15, 6, 7, 12, 14, 8, 9, 10, 6, 8, 8, 8, 13, 12, 12, 10, 7. Now, order the data
from smallest to largest: 1, 6, 6, 7, 7, 7, 8, 8, 8, 8, 9, 10, 10, 11, 12, 12, 12,
13, 14, 15. Then, plot or arrange their scores from lowest to highest and
draw a box. Since there are 20 observations, the median is between the
tenth value, 9 and the 11th value. To find the median, add the two values
together and divide by two.
9 + 11 = 20 = 10
2

The box plot will show if a statistical data set is normally distributed or
skewed.
 When the median is in the middle of the box, and the whiskers are about
the same on both sides of the box, then the distribution is symmetric. When the
median is closer to the top of the box, and the whisker is shorter on the upper
end of the box, then the distribution is negatively skewed (skewed left). When the
median is closer to the bottom of the box, and if the whisker is shorter on the lower
end of the box, then the distribution is positively skewed (skewed right).

2. Deciles - It splits the data into ten parts.

3. Five Number Summary

4. Interquartile Range (IQR) - It shows where the bulk of the middling lies. It is a
number that indicates the spread of the middle half or the middle 50% of the
data. It is the difference between the third quartile (Q3) and the first quartile
(Q1).
IQR= Q3 - Q1
The IQR can help to determine potential outliers. A value is suspected to be
a potential outlier if it is less than (1.5)(IQR) below the first quartile or more
than (1.5)(IQR) above the third quartile. Potential outliers always require
further investigation.
5. Outliers - are unusual values that fall outside of an expected range of values.
6. Percentiles - Is a number where a certain percentage of scores fall below
that number.

A formula for finding the Percentile of a Value in a Data Set

● Order the data from smallest to largest
● x = the number of data values counting from the bottom of the data list up to
but not including the data value for which you want to find the percentile.
● y = the number of data values equal to the data value for which you want to
find the percentile.
● n = the total number of data.
● Calculate x + 0.5y (100). Then round to the nearest integer.
n
Example:
Listed are 29 ages for Academy Award winning best actors in order from
smallest to largest.

18; 21; 22; 25; 26; 27; 29; 30; 31; 33; 36; 37; 41; 42; 47; 52; 55; 57; 58; 62;
64; 67; 69; 71; 72; 73; 74; 76; 77
a. Find the percentile for 58.
b. Find the percentile for 25.

Solution
a. Counting from the bottom of the list, there are 18 data values less
than 58. There is one value of 58.
x = 18 and y = 1.

x + 0.5y (100) = 18 + 0.5 (1) = 63.80

n 29
58 is the 64th percentile.

b. Counting from the bottom of the list, there are three data values less
than 25. There is one value of 25.
x = 3 and y = 1.

x + 0.5y (100) = 18 + 0.5 (1) = 12.07

n 29
25 is the 12th percentile.

GUIDELINE

When writing the interpretation of a percentile in the context of the

given data, the sentence should contain the following information.

● Information about the context of the situation being considered

● The data value (value of the variable) that represents the
percentile.
● The percent of individuals or items with data values below the
percentile
● The percent of individuals or items with data values above the
percentile

On a timed math test, the first quartile for time. It took 35 minutes to
finish the exam. Interpret the first quartile in the context of this
situation.

Answer
 ❖ Twenty five percent of the students finished the exam in 35 minutes or
less.
❖ Seventy - five percent of the students finished the exam in 35 minutes
or more.
❖ A low percentile could be considered good, as finishing more quickly
on a timed exam is desirable. (If you take too long, you might not be
able to finish).

7. Quartiles - Simply put, quartiles divide your data into quarters; the lowest
quarter, two middle quarters, and a highest quarter.

It may or may not be part of the data. To find the quartiles, first, find the
median or second quartile, The first quartile, Q 1 is the middle value of the
lower half of the data, and the third quartile, Q 3 is the middle value, or
median, of the upper half of the data. To get the idea, consider the same
data set: 1, 6, 6, 7, 7, 7, 8, 8, 8, 8, 9, 10, 10, 11, 12, 12, 12, 13, 14, 15. The
median or second quartile is 10. The lower half of the data are 1, 6, 6, 7, 7,
7, 8, 8, 8, 8, 9. The middle value of the lower half is 7. The number 7, which
is part of the data, is the first quartile. One-fourth of the entire sets are the
same as or less than two and three-fourths of the values are more than
seven.
 The upper half of the data is 10, 10, 11, 12, 12, 12, 13, 14, 15. The middle
value of the upper half is twelve. The third quartile, Q3 is twelve. Three-
fourths (75%) of the ordered data set are less than twelve. One-fourth (25%)
of the ordered data are greater than twelve. The third quartile is part of the
data set in this example.

8. Standard scores - are a way to compare results from a test to a “normal

population.

9. Tukey’s hinge - are created when you split a data set into four pieces (with
three hinges).
No. of Learners (Grade 7-10)

Grade 7 Grade 8 Grade 9 Grade 10

Male = 80 Male = 75 Male = 80 Male= 75

Female = 75 Female = 70 Female = 90 Female = 85

Technology Integration
To know more about Measures of position. Visit
:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiZCtar7iI8
https://wwwyoutube.com/watch?v=hggE9Yz_63E
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLQULafanVw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjplDcEGOil

Summary
Measures of position give us a way to see where a certain data point or value falls
in a sample or distribution. A measure can tell whether a value is about the
average, or whether it’s usually high or low. Measures of position are used for
quantitative data that falls on some numerical scale. Sometimes, it can be applied
to ordinal variables that have an order, like first, second, third, etc.

It can also show how values from different distributions or measurements scales
compare.The values that divide a rank-ordered set of data into 100 equal parts are
called percentiles. Percentiles are used to compare and interpret data. For
example, an observation at the 50th percentile would be greater than 50% of the
other observations in the set.

Quartiles divide data into quarters. The first quartile (Q 1) is the 25th percentile, the
second quartile (Q2) or median is the 50th percentile, and the third quartile (Q3) is
the 75th percentile. The interquartile range, or IQR, is the range of the middle 50
percent of the data values. The IQR is found by subtracting Q1 from Q3, and can
help determine outliers by using the following two expressions.

● Q3 + IQR (1.5)
● Q1 - IQR (1.5)

Box and Whiskers Plot - shows the spread and center of data. It is a graphical
representation of the five number summary: minimum, maximum, median, and the
first and third quartiles.

Deciles - are similar to quartiles. But where quartiles split the data into four equal
parts, deciles split the data into ten parts: The 10th, 20th, 30th, 40th, 50th, 60th,
70th, 80th, 90th, and 100th percentiles.

Five Number Summary - It is an overview of your data. The statistics in the

summary are the smallest value (minimum), the largest (maximum), the middle
(median), and the first and third quartiles.

Outliers - are unusual values that fall outside of an expected range of values. For
example, if you’re measuring IQ values of children, your statistics would be thrown
off if Einstein and Stephen were in your class; their IQs would be
outliers.Standard scores (i.e. z-scores) - are a way to compare results from a test
to a “normal population.

Tukey's upper hinge and lower hinge - are created when you split a data set
into four pieces (with three hinges). As the median is included in this “splitting”,
Tukey’s hinges are sometimes called inclusive quartiles.

Assessment
Assessment in Measures of Position (Ungrouped Data, Percentiles, and
Quartiles)

1. The median score is also the ____________.

a. 75th percentile
b. b. 5th decile
c. c. 3rd decile
d. d. 1st quartile

2. When a distribution is divided into hundred equal parts, each score

point describes the distribution as __________________.
a. percentile
b. decile
c. quartile
d. median

3. The lower quartile is equal to ______________?

a. 50th percentile
b. 25th percentile
c. 2nd decile
d. 3rd quartile

4. In the set of scores 14, 17, 10, 22, 19, 24, 8, 12, and 19, the median
score is __________.
a. 17
b. 16
c. 15
d. 13

5. In a 70-item test, Melody got a score of 50 which is the third quartile.

This means that:
a. She got the highest score.
b. Her score is higher than 25% of her class.
c. She surpassed 75% of her classmates.
d. seventy-five percent of the class did not pass the test.

6. During a season, the 40th percentile for points scored in a game for
players is eight. Interpret the 40th percentile in the context of this
situation.
7. On a 60 point written assignment, the 80th percentile for the number of
points earned was 49. Interpret the 80 th percentile in the context of
this situation.
 8. For the 100- meter dash, the third quartile for times for finishing the
race was 11.5 seconds. Interpret the third quartile in the context of
this situation.

Answer Key
1. b
2. a
3. b
4. a
5. c
6. Forty percent of players scored eight points or fewer. Sixty percent of players
scored eight points or more. A higher percentile is good because getting
more points in basketball is desirable.
7. Eighty percent of students earned 49 points or fewer. Twenty percent of
students earning 49 or more points on an assignment is desirable.
8. Twenty-five percent of runners finished the race in 11.5 seconds or more.
Seventy-five percent of runners finished the race in 11.5 seconds or less. A
lower percentile is good because finishing a race more quickly is desirable.

References
Asaad, A. S. & Hailaya, W. M., (Eds.). (2004). Measurement and Evaluation:

Concepts and Principles, Manila, Philippines: Rex Book Store, Inc.

Mcleod, Saul., & Evans, O. G. (Ed.). (2023), Simply Psychology: Box Plot

Explained: Interpretation,Examples, & Comparison, https://www.simply

psychology.org.

Navarro DJ and Foxcroft DR (2019). learning statistics with jamovi: a tutorial for

psychology students and other beginners. (Version 0.70). DOI: 10.24384/hgc3-

7p15 [Available from url:http://learnstatswithjamovi.com]

https://www.bing.com/search?=measure+of+position+statistics FORM=R5FD3

https://www.google.com

https://www.statisticshowto.com

https://www.milefoot.com

https://stats.libretexts.org: (2020). Measures of Position, NICE CXone Expert, UC

Davis Library, California State University, California, USA.

https://fr.scribd.com.document: Aligado, J., Summative Test: Measures of

Position:Ungrouped Data

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