* Measures of Central Tendency I (Referred to as

averages and serves to locate the centre of a set of observations )

Description Applicability Advantage Disadvantage

Mode The value or set of values that • All LOM • Resistant to outliers • Not always unique
occurs most frequently. (especially for • Easy to determine • Does not use all
nominal) for ungrouped or data
raw data - No • May not exist
calculation

Median The middle value in an ordered • All except nominal • Resistant to outliers • Does not use all
data. • When outliers exist • Unique data

Mean A common measure of • Interval/ratio • Unique • Not resistant to

location. It is the average. • When no outliers • Use all the data outliers
exist
 * Measures of Central Tendency II
Raw data Simple frequency Group frequency Notations
distribution distribution
Mode Pick out the value (s) Pick out the value (s) 1 = Difference between the freq. of modal
occurring more than with the highest class and the freq. of the next lower class.
    2 = Difference between the freq. of modal
any other value. frequency.
L1   1 c
 1   2  class and the freq. of the next higher
  class.
L1 = Lower class boundary of the modal
class
c = class width of the modal class
Median 1. Order data 1. Order data L1=lower class boundary of median class
 ( n   f1 ) 
2. Determine median 2. Determine median L1   2 c 
n = fsample
1 size
position = (n+1)/2 position = (n+1)/2  f med  = sum of all frequencies for the
  classes lower than the median class
3. Locate median 3. Locate median based
based on step 2. on step 2 using the fmed = frequency of the median class
freq. column c = class width of the median class
Mean Add up all the data Find the product of all Find the product of all X = the actual values (for raw data and
values and divide by the values and their the midpoints and ungrouped freq. dist.)
the number of frequencies ; then add their frequencies ; then = midpoints (for group freq. dist.)
values. all the products; and add all the products; f = frequency
X or
X finally divide by the and finally divide by n = sample size
total frequency. the total frequency.
N n N = population size
 fX  fX 
f f = summation or sum of
4
The 20 meetings of a square dance club were
attended by 26, 25, 28, 23, 25, 24, 24, 23, 26,
26, 28, 26, 24, 32, 25, 27, 24, 23, 24, and 22 of
its members.

Find the mode, median, and mean.

5
 *Example
1.Calculate the mean, median and
mode for the following scores:

a)8, 4, 9, 3, 5, 8, 6, 6, 7, 8,10

b) 1.5,4.5,3.2,1.8,5.0,2.2

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7
8
 *Example
Grade Frequency
*The following is a
distribution of final 0-19 18
examination grades
20-39 51
which 180 students
obtained in a freshman 40-59 66
course. Calculate the
mode, mean and median. 60-79 32

80-99 13

9
 *Example – Calculating the Mode
Mode=
L1: Lower class boundary of the modal class
= (39+40)/2 = 39.5
Grade Frequency :1 difference between the frequency
of the modal class and the
next lower class (class located above it)
0-19 18 = 66 - 51 = 15
 :2difference between the frequency of the modal
class and the next higher class (class located below it)
20-39 51 = 66 – 32 = 34
C = class width = UCB-LCB = 59.5 - 39.5= 20

40-59 66
 1 
Mode  L1     
c
 
60-79 32
1 2

 15 
 39.5    20
 15  34 
 15 
80-99 13  39.5    20
 49 
 39.5  0.31* 20
Modal Class – Class with highest  39.5  6.2
frequency
 45.7
10
*Example = Calculating the Mean
(UCL + LCL)/2
(0+ 19)/2 = 9.5 18 * 9.5 = 171

Grade Frequency X Fx

0-19 18 9.5 171

20-39 51 29.5 1504.5

Mean 
 fx
40-59 66 49.5 3267
f
60-79 32 69.5 2224 8330

80-99 13 89.5 1163.5 180
 46.27
Total 180 8330
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Grade Frequency Cf

0-19 18 18
18 + 51 = 69

20-39 51 69+66 = 135 69

40-59 66 135

60-79 32 167

80-99 13 180

Total 180
12
• Locate median class
 n 
   f1 
=
n 1
= (180+1)/2= 90.5 Median  L1   2 c
2  f med 
= Locate value by looking in the cumulative  
frequency column
 
= 90.5 is located between 69 and 135. The last value in the  180 
20-39 class is the 69th value.   69 
Therefore the median class is 40-59 since the 70th value to  39.5   2  20
the 135th fall in this class.
 66 
Values in the formula:  
= L1: lower class boundary of the median class = (39+40)/2  
= 39.5
 90  69 
 39.5   20
= = sum of all frequencies lower than
the median class = 69
 66 
 21 
= = frequency of the median class = 66  39.5   20
f 1
 66 
 39.5  0.32 * 20
f med  39.5  6.4
 45.9 13
14
15
* The following distribution represents monthly KWH of
electricity used for 140 households in Mona.

Range of Kwh per Month Number of Households

Below 100 12
100 - <110 25
110 - <120 28
120 - <130 26
130 - <140 21
140 - <150 16
150 and over 12

Calculate and interpret the mean, median and mode.

16
 The following is a group frequency distribution of the ages of
deejays in Jamaica, which was compiled from the list of
registered artiste.

Age of Deejay Frequency

21-30 28

31-40 30

41-50 12

51-60 10

61-70 8

71-80 2

Calculate and interpret the mean, median and mode.

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