Skewness and Kurtosis

Measures of Central Tendency

Measures of Central Tendency describe

distributions based on the average performance
of a test score.

Measures of Central Tendency are typically

represented through the mean, median, and
mode.
 Descriptors of Curves
 Symmetry
 Symmetrical – one side of the curve mirrors
the other
 Asymmetrical – skew exists in the curve
 Distribution Curves and Measures of
Central Tendency

 In a symmetrical (normal) curve, the values for the

mean, mode, and median are identical.
 The mean can be impacted by outlying scores.
 In asymmetrical distributions, the median may be the
best measure of central tendency.
 Measures of Variability
 Variability – the degree to which scores differ from one another.
 Measures of Variability – the degree to which scores differ from
the mean. There are several methods for measuring variability.
 Skewness
– the degree to which the distribution of a curve is
asymmetrical.
 Positive Skew - a distribution with an asymmetrical “tail”
extending out to the right.
 Negative Skew - a distribution with an asymmetrical “tail”
extending out to the left.
Interpretation: The distribution is positively skewed, that is the right tail of
the distribution is longer than the left tail. This suggests the presence of the
extreme values in the data set which are greater the median.
 Kurtosis
 – a statistic that reflects the peakedness or
flatness of a distribution relative to a normal
distribution.
 Types of kurtosis

 Mesokurtic  Leptokurtic  Platykurtic

A distribution
identical to the A distribution that A distribution that
normal distribution is more peaked is less peaked
than normal than normal
 Problem: test scores

C.I. fi Xi

65-69 2 67 24.125 338742.19 677484.375

60-64 2 62 19.125 133784.49 267568.985
55-59 3 57 14.125 39806.485 119419.454
50-54 1 52 9.125 6933.1643 6933.16431
45-49 6 47 4.125 289.53149 1737.18896
40-44 11 42 -0.875 0.5861816 6.44799805
35-39 8 37 -5.875 1191.3284 9530.62695
30-34 3 32 -10.88 13986.758 41960.2742
25-29 2 27 -15.88 63511.875 127023.75
20-24 2 22 -20.88 189891.68 379783.36
40 16311447.6
Where,
(leptokurtic)
n = 39
SD = 7.22
= 1631447.6 -3
(39)(2717.37)
=12.34
THANK YOU