2.2: Central Tendencies

Question 1

What are the 3 measures of central tendency?

Answer 1

• Mean
• Median
• Mode

Question 2

Mode

Answer 2

The most common value in a data set.

Question 3

What is mode the only/best measurement for?

Answer 3

Nominal values

Question 4

What is mode complement with?

Answer 4

Frequencies of each category

Question 5

What is usually the value of the mode?

Answer 5

The absolute peak.

Question 6

Discrete Variables

Answer 6

Variables that take on a limited number of values.

Question 7

What is an example of discrete values?

Answer 7

Strongly agree - Strongly disagree

Question 8

What do multi-modal distributions require?

Answer 8

Follow up analysis

• Understand what is causing the multiple peaks.

Question 9

What do multiple peaks in a histogram usually mean?

Answer 9

There are sub groupings in the sample that need to be further analyzed.

Question 10

What are the 3 questions to ask if a data set is quantitative and multimodal?

Answer 10

1. Are there naturally occurring groups in the data that should be examined separately?
2. Were there different versions of a measure used?
3. Was there some procedural difference that could have created unintended groupings in the data?

Question 11

Median

Answer 11

The middle value in a frequency distribution.

Question 12

What is the point at which the median occurs?

Answer 12

the 50th percentile

Question 13

What is the median also known as?

Answer 13

The ordinal middle of the distribution

Question 14

Does the median use all values in the data?

Answer 14

NO

Question 15

What data can the median be used for?

Answer 15

Ordinal, interval, and ratio scales

Question 16

What distribution shape is best to use the median?

Answer 16

When the shape of the distribution for interval/ratio is skewed

Question 17

Mean

Answer 17

The average score of a data set.

Question 18

How do you calculate mean?

Answer 18

Sum of all data/number of data scores

Question 19

What is the mean considered?

Answer 19

The balance point of all scores

Question 20

Can you use the mean when the data is heavily skewed?

Answer 20

No - use the median

Question 21

How many values does the mean use in the data set?

Answer 21

All of the values

Question 22

What are 3 implications of using the mean?

Answer 22

1. May be misleading for multi-modal data
2. Misleading for heavily skewed distributions
3. Influenced by extreme values

Question 23

What scales is the mean best used for?

Answer 23

Interval and ratio scales

Question 24

What shape is best to use the mean?

Answer 24

When the distribution for interval/ratio is symmetrical and unimodal
(normal)

Question 25

When can the mode be used as the central tendency measure?

Answer 25

When the histogram is multimodal.

Question 26

What is the only level of measurement that a symmetric histogram can be analyzed by median?

Answer 26

Ordinal variables