Which measure is considered the most sensitive of the central tendency because it includes all data, though it can be distorted by extreme values?

Which measure is considered the most sensitive of the central tendency because it includes all data, though it can be distorted by extreme values?

• A. The Median
• B. The Mean
• C. The Mode
• D. Descriptive Statistics

Answer: (B)

The mean is the measure that uses every value in the dataset. You add up all the data points and divide by how many there are, so every observation contributes to the final number. Because of that, extreme values (outliers) can pull the average toward themselves, making the mean very sensitive to unusual scores. For example, in a set like 2, 3, 3, 4, 100, the mean becomes 22.4, which is heavily influenced by that lone high value, while the median stays at 3. This illustrates why the mean reflects all data but can be distorted by extremes. In contrast, the median or mode aren’t as affected by outliers, so they’re often preferable when distributions are skewed or contain unusual scores. Descriptive statistics, meanwhile, is a broad term for summarizing data, not a single measure of central tendency.

The mean is the measure that uses every value in the dataset. You add up all the data points and divide by how many there are, so every observation contributes to the final number. Because of that, extreme values (outliers) can pull the average toward themselves, making the mean very sensitive to unusual scores. For example, in a set like 2, 3, 3, 4, 100, the mean becomes 22.4, which is heavily influenced by that lone high value, while the median stays at 3. This illustrates why the mean reflects all data but can be distorted by extremes. In contrast, the median or mode aren’t as affected by outliers, so they’re often preferable when distributions are skewed or contain unusual scores. Descriptive statistics, meanwhile, is a broad term for summarizing data, not a single measure of central tendency.