Use the mean to describe the middle of a set of MEDIAN

data that does not have an outlier.

Use the median to describe the middle of a set
of data that does have an outlier.
Advantages:
• Most popular measure in fields such as
Advantages:
business, engineering and computer science.
• Extreme values (outliers) do not affect the
• It is unique - there is only one answer.
median as strongly as they do the mean.
• Useful when comparing sets of data.
• Useful when comparing sets of data.
• It is unique - there is only one answer.
Disadvantages:
• Affected by extreme values (outliers)
Disadvantages:
• Not as popular as mean.

MODE
Use the mode when the data is non-numeric or
when asked to choose the most popular item.

Advantages:
• Extreme values (outliers) do not affect the
mode.

Disadvantages:
• Not as popular as mean and median.
• Not necessarily unique - may be more than
one answer
• When no values repeat in the data set, the
mode is every value and is useless.
• When there is more than one mode, it is
difficult to interpret and/or compare.

The two most common measures of central tendency are the median and the mean

Advantages of the sample mean

1. It takes all values in the sample into account.
2. It is unique: Each sample and population has only
one mean.
3.The sum of X minus the mean is zero, so the
mean acts as a “balancing point.”

Disadvantages of the Mean

1. It only exists for quantitative data
● What is the mean between good, fair, poor?
● Between red, yellow, and blue?
2. It can be affected strongly by outliers.
● Example: In Whoville, there are 10 people who earn
$10,000 a year and one person who earns $1,000,000
● What is the mean? Is it a typical income?

Advantages of Median
1. Works on ordered data as well as quantitative
data.
● Example: 20 Opinions of Hillwood Cafe
Excellent: 3
Good: 6
Fair: 7
Poor: 4
Pick midpoint from: Poor, Poor, Poor, Poor, Fair, Fair, Fair, Fair, Fair,
Fair, Fair, Good, Good, Good, Good, Good, Good, Excellent,
Excellent, Excellent.

2. Median is unaffected by outliers:

– There are 11 people in Whoville; ten make $10,000 per
year and one makes $1 million per year. What is the
median income?
3. Median is unique: A sample has only one.

Disadvantage of Median
Disadvantage: Not affected by changes in data away
from center.
– Example: In Whoville, what would happen to the
median income if the millionaire suddenly started
making only $25,000?