Numerical Measures of Central Tendency and Variability

Read these sections and complete the questions at the end of each section. First, we will define central tendency and introduce mean, median, and mode. We will then elaborate on median and mean and discusses their strengths and weaknesses in measuring central tendency. Finally, we'll address variability, range, interquartile range, variance, and the standard deviation. 

Median and Mean

Questions

Question 1 out of 7.

The value that minimizes the sum of absolute deviations is the:

  • mean
  • median
  • mode


Question 2 out of 7.

The point on which a distribution would balance is the:

  • mean
  • median
  • mode


Question 3 out of 7.

The value that minimizes the sum of the squared deviations is the:

  • mean
  • median
  • mode


Question 4 out of 7.

When are the mean and the median the same?

  • When the distribution is very large
  • When the distribution is symmetric
  • When the distribution is skewed
  • When the number that minimizes the sum of the squared deviations is the same as the balancing point
  • Never


Question 5 out of 7.

For the numbers 17, 9, 20, 15, and 11, the number which minimizes the absolute deviations is:

__________


Question 6 out of 7.

For the numbers 20, 32, 18, 43, and 27, the number which minimizes the squared deviations is:

__________


Question 7 out of 7.

You have a distribution with a mean of 6.5, a median of 7, and a mode of 4. At what point does this distribution balance?

__________