STAT-2300 Lecture 5: Center (Mean vs. Median)
1 Mar 2017
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Document Summary
The mean and the median are both accurate and reliable measurements of the center of a data set, however sometimes one may be better than the other because of resistance. **resistance = a quality in which extreme observations (very small or large relative to the rest of the data) have little, if any, influence on its value. The median is known to be a resistant measure of center while the mean is not resistant, and is largely affected by even the slightest change in data. The shape of the distribution is a very good indication of where the mean is in relation to the median. If the distribution is symmetric, then the mean is approximately equal to the median. If the distribution is skewed right, then the mean is greater than the median. If the distribution is skewed left, then the mean is less than the median.
