When is the mean the best measure of central tendency?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking about the circumstances or conditions under which the mean is considered the best measure of central tendency. It addresses the concept of statistical measures for summarizing data, particularly relating to when the mean provides the most accurate representation of a data set compared to other measures like the median or mode.
Answer
When the data distribution is continuous and symmetrical.
The mean is the best measure of central tendency when the data distribution is continuous and symmetrical.
Answer for screen readers
The mean is the best measure of central tendency when the data distribution is continuous and symmetrical.
More Information
The mean includes all values in the dataset, making it sensitive to every data point, which is optimal in a symmetrical distribution.
Tips
A common mistake is using the mean for skewed distributions, where it can be misleading due to the influence of outliers.
Sources
- Measures of Central Tendency & Examples - BYJU'S - byjus.com
- Mean, Mode and Median - Measures of Central Tendency - statistics.laerd.com
- What's the best measure of central tendency to use? - Scribbr - scribbr.com
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