Scales of Measurement

&
Central Tendency
Prof G R C Nair
 Objectives
• Learn the importance and
applications of Q.T
• Learn various scales of
Measurement
• Define Central Tendency
• Learn various Measures of
Central Tendency
• Learn how to calculate these
values
 Why Quantitative
Techniques ?

• Statistical techniques, which

involves collecting, organizing,
presenting, analyzing, and
interpreting numerical data, can
assist in making more effective
decisions.
 Applications

Statistical techniques are used

extensively by marketing,
accounting, quality control,
consumers, professional sports
people, hospital administrators,
educators, politicians, physicians,
etc.
Population and Sample

A population is a collection of all

possible individuals, objects, or
measurements of interest.

A sample is a portion, or part,

of the population of interest
Scales of Measurement

• Measuring non tangibles is

difficult

• 4 different scales in increasing

order of precision, and power.
Scales in the increasing order of
precision are,

1. Nominal Scale:
Data that is classified into
categories. Number does not signify
its mathematical characteristics
Eg: gender, Blood group
2. Ordinal Scale:

Involves data arranged in some

order, but the differences
between data values vary.
eg: Rank of students (1>2>3)
Moh’s Hardness scale ( 2 > 1)
But 2-1 is not equal to 5 - 4
3. Interval Scale:

Similar to the ordinal level, with

the additional property that
meaningful amounts of differences
between data values can be
determined.
eg: Temperature ( 400 C-300 C = 200
C - 100 C)
But there is no natural zero point.
400C is not twice as hot as 200C
• 4. Ratio Scale:

• Constant interval with an inherent

zero starting point. Differences
and ratios are meaningful for this
level of measurement.
eg: Distance ( 10km is double 5km,
20 kg weighs double of 10 kg)
• Use the most precise scale
possible.
 Central Tendency

• All natural tabulated data have

a tendency to cluster around
some central value.
• There will be low frequency at
the two extremes.
• This is known as Central
Tendency.
Measures of Central Values
• The central Value has to be
measured for various uses.
• Representative Value for
whole data
• For Comparison
• To establish relationships
• To derive inferences
• To aid decision making
 Mean
The Arithmetic mean (mean-M) is the most
commonly used measure
It is the sum of all the values divided by
the total number of values:

 
 X
N
where µ is the mean.
– N is the total number of observations.
– X is a particular value.
  indicates the operation of adding
• The weighted mean of a set of
numbers X1, X2, ..., Xn, with corresponding
weights w1, w2, ...,wn, is computed from the
following formula: The weighted mean of a
set of numbers X1, X2, ..., Xn, with
corresponding weights w1, w2, ...,wn, is
computed from the following formula:

( w1 X 1  w2 X 2  ...  wn X n )
Xw 
( w1  w2  ...wn )
• Geometric Mean =
nth root of (x1* x2*….xn)

• Harmonic Mean =
n / (1/x1+1/x2+1/x3…1/xn)
 Median

• The Median (Me) is the midpoint of the

values after they have been arranged from
the smallest to the largest.

• There are as many values above the median as

below it in the data array.

• It is the (n+1)/2 th term

• For an even set of values, the median will be the

arithmetic average of the two middle numbers.
 The ages for a sample of five college
students are: 21, 25, 19, 20, 22
• Arranging the data in ascending order
gives: 19, 20, 21, 22, 25. Thus the median
is 21.

• The heights of four basketball players, in

inches, are: 76, 73, 80, 75
• Arranging the data in ascending order
gives: 73, 75, 76, 80. Thus the median is
75.5
 Mode

• The mode (Mo) is the value of the

observation that appears most
frequently.

The exam scores for ten students are:

81, 93, 84, 75, 68, 87, 81, 75, 81, 87.

Because the score of 81 occurs the

most often, it is the mode.
 Mean of Grouped Data
Grouping of data , Frequency
Inclusive – Exclusive method
Class limit, width, mid point
Class boundary, interval.

The mean of a sample of data  Xf

organized in a frequency X
distribution
is computed by the following
n
formula:

n=f
• Sample of ten movie theaters in a city were
tabulated for the total number of movies
shown during a month. Compute the mean
number of movies shown.

Movies frequency f
showing

1 up to 3 1
3 up to 5 2
5 up to 7 3
7 up to 9 1
9 up to 11 3
Total 10
 Movies frequency class ( f)( X )
showing f midpoint
X
1 up to 3 1 2 2
3 up to 5 2 4 8
5 up to 7 3 6 18
7 up to 9 1 8 8

9 up to 11 3 10 30
Total 10 66

 Xf66
X  Xf   6.6
n 10
 Short Cut Method
• X = X0 + (d x f ) / n
• X0 = assumed mean
• d = deviation of x from mean
• n = total number (ie  f)

Further, if u = d/w,
X = X0 + w (u x f ) / n
Short cut Method
Ans: 28.731

Class ‘x’ f d u fu
0-10 5 4 -20 -2 -8
10-20 15 16 -10 -1 -16
20-30 25 15 0 0 0
30-40 35 20 10 1 20
40-50 45 7 20 2 14
50-60 55 5 30 3 15
67 25
Ans 25+(25/67)x10 = 28.731
 Median of Grouped Data
• The median of a sample of data organized in a
frequency distribution is computed by

Median  Lm + [(N+1)/2 - (F+1)] W

fm

where Lm is the lower boundary of the median

class,
F is the cumulative frequency preceding the
median class
fm is the frequency of the median class,
w is the median class interval.
N is the total frequency
 Finding the Median Class

To determine the median class

• Construct a cumulative frequency distribution.
• If the total number of data is N, find (N+1)/2.
• Determine which class will contain this value.

• For example, if N =49, 50/2 = 25, then

determine which class will contain the 25th
value.
• If N is even, take the average of the 2 middle
values
 Mode of Grouped Data

• The mode for grouped data is

approximated by the midpoint of the
class with the largest class
frequency.

 When two values occur a large

number of times, the distribution is
called bimodal.
Mode of a grouped data

• MODE = Lm + { ( d1 ) /(d1+d2) }x w

Lm= lower boundary of modal class

fm = frequency of modal class
f1= frequency of class just preceding
modal class
f2= frequency of class just succeeding
modal class
w = common width of class
d1 = fm-f1
d2 = fm-f2
Find Median and Mode from the following
frequency distribution – hint hidden

Output No. Of Workers

300 TO 309 9
310 TO 319 20
320 TO 329 24
330 TO 339 38
340 TO 349 48 - Modal class
350 TO 359 27
360 TO 369 17
370 TO 379 6
• Since the distribution is excusive type, first convert
it to inclusive type and then proceed.

Median  Lm [(N+1)

(F+1)] W
fm
• =339.5+{ (189+1)/2 –(91+1) } 10/48
=340.12

• MODE = Lm+ { ( d1 ) /(d1+d2) }x w

= 339.5 + { (10) /(10+21)}x 10
= 342.7
Assignment
• Page 64. Levin
• Page 82- SC 3.1,Page 98 SC3.8