MEASURES OF CENTRAL

TENDENCY
MA. ROWENA M. BAYRANTE, PHD
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR V
 WHAT IS A MEASURE OF CENTRAL
TENDENCY?
Is a single value that describe the centralness of a given data
When the data is arranged according to magnitude this measure
tend to lie at the center
Also known as measure of position or average
Commonly Used Measure
1. Mean
2. Mode
3. Median
4. Quantiles
 MEAN
Is the sum of the values divided by the total number of values or items
i.e.
ungrouped data:
 EXAMPLE FOR UNGROUPED DATA
1. A student scored 80%, 72%, 50%, 64% and 74% marks in five subjects in an examination. Find
the mean percentage of marks obtained by him.
Solution:
Here, observations in percentage are
x1 = 80, x2 = 72, x3 = 50, x4 = 64, x5 = 74.
Therefore, their mean = (x1+x2+x3+x4+x5)/5
= (80+72+50+64+74)/5
= 340/5
= 68.
Therefore, mean percentage of marks obtained by the student was 68%.
 EXAMPLE FOR UNGROUPED DATA
2. The mean of 6 variates is 8. Five of them are 8, 15, 0, 6, 11. Find the sixth variate.
Solution:
Let the sixth variate be a. Then by definition,
Mean = (x1+x2+x3+x4+x5+x6)/6
= (8+15+0+6+11+a)/6
According to the problem,
(40+a)/6 = 8
⟹ 40 + a = 48
⟹ a = 48 - 40
⟹a=8
Therefore, the sixth variate = 8.
ARITHMETIC MEAN
EXAMPLE FOR GROUPED DATA
 EXAMPLE FOR GROUPED DATA
CF RCF (%)
TCB
RF (%)
Classes Tally Freq CM
< > < >
LTCB UTCB
8 36 22.22 100
17 - 24 IIIII-III 8 16.5 24.5 20.5 22.22
14 28 38.89 77.78
25 - 32 IIIII-I 6 24.5 32.5 28.5 16.67
23 22 63.89 61.11
33 - 40 IIIII-IIII 9 32.5 40.5 36.5 25

41 - 48 IIIII-I 6 40.5 48.5 44.5 16.67 29 13 80.56 36.11

34 7 94.44 19.44
49 - 56 IIIII 5 48.5 56.5 52.5 13.89

36 2 100 5.56
57 - 64 II 2 56.5 64.5 60.5 5.56

TOTAL 36 100
 EXAMPLE FOR GROUPED DATA
Classes Freq CM fx

17 - 24 8 20.5 164.0 _
X = ∑fiXi/n
25 - 32 6 28.5 171.0
= 1314.0/36
33 - 40 9 36.5 328.5

41 - 48 6 44.5 267.0 = 36.5

49 - 56 5 52.5 262.5

57 - 64 2 60.5 121.0

TOTAL 36 1314.0
MEAN FOR GROUPED DATA
 EXAMPLE FOR GROUPED DATA
Scores freq CM (X) Arbitrary Mean d = (X – A)/i fd

41-45 1 43 +3 +3
36-40 8 38 +2 +16
31-35 8 33 +1 +8
26-30 14 28 A 0 0
21-25 7 23 -1 -7
16-20 2 18 -2 -4
TOTAL 40 ∑fd = +16

_
X = A + ( (∑fd)/ n ) * i = 28 + ( 16 / 40) * 5 = 28 + o.4 * 5 = 28 + 2 = 30
EXAMPLE FOR GROUPED DATA
Classes Freq CM ( X ) A d = (X – A) / i fd

17 - 24 8 20.5 -3 -24

25 - 32 6 28.5 -2 -12

33 - 40 9 36.5 -1 -9

41 - 48 6 44.5 A 0 0

49 - 56 5 52.5 +1 +5

57 - 64 2 60.5 +2 +4

TOTAL 36 -36

_
X = A + ( (∑fd)/ n ) * i = 44.5 + ( -36 / 36) * 8 = 44.5 + -1 * 8 = 44.5 - 8 = 36.5
 WEIGHTED MEAN
Calculation of Weighted Mean (Step by Step)
Step 1: List the numbers and weights in tabular form. Presentation in tabular form is not
compulsory but makes the calculations easy.
Step 2: Multiply each number and relevant weight assigned to that number (w1 by x1, w2 by
x2, and so on)
Step 3: Add the numbers obtained in Step 2 (∑x1wi)
Step 4: Find the sum of the weights (∑wi)
Step 5: Divide the total of the values obtained in Step 3 by the sum of the weights obtained in
Step 4 (∑x1wi/∑wi)
 EXAMPLE
A class of 25 students took a science test. 10 students had an average
(arithmetic mean) score of 80. The other students had an average
score of 60. What is the average score of the whole class?
Solution:
Step 1: To get the sum of weighted terms, multiply each average by
the number of students that had that average and then sum them up.
80 × 10 + 60 × 15 = 800 + 900 = 1700
Step 2: Total number of terms = Total number of students = 25
Step 3: Using the formula
weighted mean = sum of weighted terms
total number of terms
= 1700
25
Answer: The average score of the whole class is 68.
 EXAMPLE
For example, a student may use a weighted mean in order to calculate his/her percentage grade
in a course. In such an example, the student would multiply the weighing of all assessment items
in the course (e.g., assignments, exams, projects, etc.) by the respective grade that was obtained
in each of the categories. Consider a student with the following grades:
 EXAMPLE
2. Alexia bought 6 puppies of the same breed at different pet store. Two of these puppies cost
P2,500, the other two at P2,800, one at P3,000 and the remaining one at P3,200. How much is
the cost of each puppy?
Weighted Mean = ∑WiXi = 2 (P2,500) + 2 (P2,800) + 1 (P3,000) + 1 (P3,200)
∑Wi 6
= P5,000 + P5,600 + P3,000 + P3,200
6
= P16800
6
= P2,800 each
 EXAMPLE
3. A survey was conducted to determine the usefulness of messenger. The students were asked
to rate the usefulness using a 5 point likert scale with the following values:
1 – not useful
2 – slightly useful
3 – moderately useful
4 – useful
5 – very useful
The results were tabulated in a table as shown:
 EXAMPLE
Rating freq WiXi Adjectival Rating
1 8 8 1.00 – 1.79 - NU
2 12 24 1.80 – 2.59 - SU
3 13 39 WM = 239/70 2.60 – 3.39 - MU
4 17 68 = 3.41 3.40 – 4.19 - U
5 20 100 Adjectival Rating = 4.20 – 5.00 - VU
Useful
TOTAL 70 239
 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MEAN
1. It is an interval Statistics.
2. It is a computed average.
3 It is the value in a given aggregate which would be obtained if all the values were equal.
4. The sum of deviations on either side of the mean are equal; hence, the algebraic sum of the
deviation is equal zero.
5. It reflect the magnitude of every value.
6. An array has one and only one mean.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MEAN
7. Means may be manipulated algebraically: means of subgroups may be combined when
properly weighted.
8. It may be calculated even when individual values are unknown, provided the sum of the
values and the sample size n are known.
9. Values need not be ordered or grouped for this calculation.
10. It cannot be calculated from a frequency table when ends are open.
11. It is stable in that grouping procedures do not seriously affected it.
 ADVANTAGES OF THE MEAN
Advantages:
1. It is simple to understand and easy to calculate.
2. It is rigidly defined.
3. It is suitable for further algebraic treatment.
4. It is least affected by the fluctuation in sampling.
5. It considers all the values in a given data.
 DISADVANTAGES OF THE MEAN
1. It is highly affected by the presence of a few of abnormally high or abnormally low scores.
2. In absence of a single item, its value becomes inaccurate.
3. It cannot be determined by inspection.
 MODE
Is the most frequently occurring value or the value with the highest frequency or number of
times it appeared.
i.e.
ungrouped data:
Mo = observation with the highest frequency
grouped data:
Mo = Lmo + i fmo - fb
---------------------
2fmo – fb - fa
 MODE
where:
Lmo = LTCB of the modal class
i = interval
fmo = frequency of the modal class
fb = frequency of the class before the modal class
fa = frequency of the class after the modal class
modal class = class with the highest frequency
 EXAMPLE
Find the mode in the following data set:
1. 15, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10. 11 Mo =
2. 3, 4, 3, 6, 5, 3. 8. 9. 10 Mo =
3. 4, 6, 7, 4, 6, 8, 4, 6, 9. 12 Mo =
4. 9, 7, 8, 9, 7, 9, 8, 10, 15 , 18 Mo =
5. 11, 16, 20, 11, 16, 19, 20, 22, 28, 20 Mo =
6. apple, mango, banana, orange, banana, melon, banana, guava, banana
Mo =
 EXAMPLE
Classes Tally Freq TCB CM RF (%) CF RCF (%)
< > < >
5.7 - 6.3 IIIII - III 8 5.65 - 6.35 6.0 26.67 30 8 100.00 26.67
5.0 - 5.6 II 2 4.95 - 5.65 5.3 6.67 22 10 73.33 33.33
4.3 - 4.9 IIIII 5 4.25 - 4.95 4.6 16.67 20 15 66.67 50.00
3.6 - 4.2 IIIII 5 3.55 - 4.25 3.9 16.67 15 20 50.00 66.67
2.9 - 3.5 III 3 2.85 - 3.55 3.2 10.00 10 23 33.33 76.67
2.2 - 2.8 IIIII - 11 7 2.15 - 2.85 2.5 23.33 7 30 23.33 100.00
TOTAL 30
 EXAMPLE
7. Find the mode in the FDT:

Mo = 5.65 + 0.7 8- 2
-----------------
2(8) - 2 - 0

= 5.65 + 0.7 (8/(16 – 2))

= 5.65 + 0.7 ( 8/14)
= 5.65 + 0.7 ( 0.57)
= 5.65 + 0.40
= 6.05 ≈ 6.1
 EXAMPLE
`Classes1 Tally freq TCB CM RF (%) CF RCF (%)
< > < >
5-8 IIIII-IIII 9 4.5 - 8.5 6.5 36 9 25 36 100
9 - 12 IIII 4 8.5 - 12.5 10.5 16 13 16 52 64
13 - 16 IIIII 5 12.5 - 16.5 14.5 20 18 12 72 48
17 - 20 IIII 4 16.5 - 20.5 18.5 16 22 7 88 28
21 - 24 III 3 20.5 - 24.5 22.5 12 25 3 100 12
TOTAL 25 100
 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MODE
1. It is a nominal Statistics.
2. It is an inspection average.
3. It is the most frequent value in the distribution; it is the point of greatest density.
4. The value of the mode is established by the predominant frequency, not by the value in the
distribution.
5. It is the most probable value, hence the most typical.
6. A distribution may have 2 or more modes. On the other hand, there is no mode in a rectangular
distribution.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MODE
7. The mode does not reflect the degree of modality.
8. It cannot be manipulated algebraically: modes of subgroups cannot be combined.
9. It is unstable that it is influenced by grouping procedures.
10. Values must be ordered and group for its computation.
11. It can be calculated when table ends are open.
 ADVANTAGES OF THE MODE
1. It is easy to understand and simple to calculate.
2. It is not affected by extremely large or small values.
3. It can be located just by inspection in ungrouped data and
discrete frequency distribution.
4. It can be useful for qualitative data.
5. It can be computed in an open-end frequency table.
6. It can be located graphically.
 DISADVANTAGES OF THE MODE
1. It is not well defined.
2. It is not based on all the values.
3. It is stable for large values so it will not be well defined if the data consists of a
small number of values.
4. It is not capable of further mathematical treatment.
5. Sometimes the data has one or more than one mode and sometimes the data
has no mode at all.
 MEDIAN
is the middle value of an arranged data that divides a group of observations into
two equal parts such that 50% of the observations have values that are less than
or equal to the median and the remaining 50% of the observations have values
that are more than or equal to the median.
i. e.
ungrouped data:
Md = is the middle value of an odd numbered observations or the
average of the two middle values of an even numbered
observations:
 MEDIAN
grouped data:
Md = Lmd + i n/2 - Fb
-------------------
fmd
 MEDIAN
where:
Lmd = LTCB of the median class
i = interval
n = total number of observations
Fb = sum of the frequencies of the classes before the median class or
the <CF of the class before the median class
fmd = frequency of the median class
median class = class where the middle value or n/2 observation is
found
 EXAMPLE
1. Find the median of:
2, 4, 6, 3, 8
Solution:
i) arrange the data first from lowest to highest
2, 3, 4, 6, 8
ii) find the middle value
iii) Since there are 5 observations, there is only one middle value therefore
the median is 4
 EXAMPLE
2. Find the median of:
6, 8, 3, 7, 4, 9
Solution:
i) arrange the data first from lowest to highest
3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9
ii) find the middle value
iii) Since there are 6 observations, there is two middle values 6 and 7 so to find the
median get the average of the two middle values therefore the median is 6.5
 EXAMPLE
Classes Tally Freq TCB CM RF (%) CF RCF (%)
< > < >
5.7 - 6.3 IIIII - III 8 5.65 - 6.35 6.0 26.67 30 8 100.00 26.67
5.0 - 5.6 II 2 4.95 - 5.65 5.3 6.67 22 10 73.33 33.33
4.3 - 4.9 IIIII 5 4.25 - 4.95 4.6 16.67 20 15 66.67 50.00
3.6 - 4.2 IIIII 5 3.55 - 4.25 3.9 16.67 15 20 50.00 66.67
2.9 - 3.5 III 3 2.85 - 3.55 3.2 10.00 10 23 33.33 76.67
2.2 - 2.8 IIIII - 11 7 2.15 - 2.85 2.5 23.33 7 30 23.33 100.00
TOTAL 30
 EXAMPLE
3. Find the median in the FDT:

Md = 3.55 + 0.7 30/2 - 10

-----------------
5
= 3.55 + 0.7 ((15 – 10)/5)
= 3.55+ 0.7 ( 5/5)
= 3.55 + 0.7 ( 1 )
= 3.55 + 0.7
= 4.25
 EXAMPLE
`Classes1 Tally freq TCB CM RF (%) CF RCF (%)
< > < >
5-8 IIIII-IIII 9 4.5 - 8.5 6.5 36 9 25 36 100
9 - 12 IIII 4 8.5 - 12.5 10.5 16 13 16 52 64
13 - 16 IIIII 5 12.5 - 16.5 14.5 20 18 12 72 48
17 - 20 IIII 4 16.5 - 20.5 18.5 16 22 7 88 28
21 - 24 III 3 20.5 - 24.5 22.5 12 25 3 100 12
TOTAL 25 100
 EXAMPLE
4. Find the median in the FDT:

Mo = 8.5 + 4 25/2 - 9
------------------
4

= 8.5 + 4 ((12.5 – 9)/4)

= 8.5 + 4 (3.5/4)
= 8.5 + 4 (0.88)
= 8.5 + 3.52
= 12.02
 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MEDIAN
1. It is an ordinal Statistics.
2. It is a position average.
3. It is the value of the middle point of the array (not midpoint of range), such that half the item
are above and half below it.
4. The value of the media is fixed by its position in the array and doesn't reflect the individual
value.
5. The aggregate distance between the median point and all the value in the array is less than
from any other point.
6. Each array has one and only one median.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MEDIAN
7. It cannot be manipulated algebraically: medians of subgroups cannot be weighted and
combined.
8. It is stable in that grouping procedures do not affect it appreciably.
9. Value must be ordered, and may be grouped, for computation.
10. It can be compute when ends are open
11. It is not applicable to qualitative data.
 ADVANTAGES OF THE MEDIAN
1. It is very simple to understand and easy to calculate. In some cases it is obtained simply by
inspection.
2. Median lies at the middle part of the series and hence it is not affected by the extreme values.
3. It is a special average used in qualitative phenomena like intelligence or beauty which are not
quantified but ranks are given. Thus we can locate the person whose intelligence or beauty is
the average.
4. In grouped frequency distribution it can be graphically located by drawing ogives.
5. It is specially useful in open-ended distributions since the position rather than the value of
item that matters in median.
 DISADVANTAGES OF THE MEDIAN
1. In simple series, the item values have to be arranged. If the series contains
large number of
items, then the process becomes tedious.
2. It is a less representative average because it does not depend on all the items
in the series.
3. It is not capable of further algebraic treatment. For example, we can not find a
combined
4. It is affected more by sampling fluctuations than the mean as it is concerned
with only one item i.e. the middle item.
 DISADVANTAGES OF THE MEDIAN
5. It is not rigidly defined. In simple series having even number of items, median
cannot be exactly found. Moreover, the interpolation formula applied in the
continuous series is based on the unrealistic assumption that the frequency of
the median class is evenly spread over the magnitude of the class interval of
the median group. median of two or more groups if the median of different
groups are given.
 QUANTILES
are natural extension of the median concept because just like the
median it also divides a group of observations into four, ten or one
hundred equal parts.
TYPES:
1. Quartiles – divide a group of observations into 4 equal parts
2. Deciles – divide a group of observations into 10 equal parts
3. Percentiles – divide a group of observations into 100 equal parts
 QUANTILES
i. e.
ungrouped data:
Qj = j ( n + 1 ) th value of the observation for j = 1 to 3
4
Dj = j ( n + 1 ) th value for the observation for j = 1 to 9
10
Pj = j ( n + 1 ) th value of the observation for j = 1 to 99
100
where:
n = total number of observations
 QUARTILES
grouped data:
Qj = LQj + i j(n) – Fb
4
-------------------
fQj
 QUARTILES
where:
LQj = LTCB of the Qj class
i = interval
n = total number of observations
Fb = sum of the frequencies of the classes before the Qj class or
the <CF of the class before the Qj class
fQj = frequency of the Qj class
Qj class = class where the j(n) / 4 observation is
found
 DECILES
grouped data:
Dj = LDj + i j(n) – Fb
10
-------------------
fDj
 DECILES
where:
LDj = LTCB of the Dj class
i = interval
n = total number of observations
Fb = sum of the frequencies of the classes before the Dj class or
the <CF of the class before the Dj class
fDj = frequency of the Dj class
Dj class = class where the j(n) / 10 observation is
found
 PERCENTILES
grouped data:
Pj = LPj + i j(n) – Fb
100
-------------------
fPj
 PERCENTILES
where:
LPj = LTCB of the Pj class
i = interval
n = total number of observations
Fb = sum of the frequencies of the classes before the Pj class or
the <CF of the class before the Pj class
fPj = frequency of the Pj class
Pj class = class where the j(n) / 100 observation is
found
 EXAMPLE
1. Calculate Quartile-1, Deciles-3, Percentiles-20 from the following data
3,13,11,11,5,4,2
Solution:
Arranging Observations in the ascending order, We get :
2,3,4,5,11,11,13
Here, n=7
Q1 = (7+1)/4 th value of the observation
Q1 = 8/ 4 th value of the observation
Q1 = 2nd value of the observation
Q1 = 3
 EXAMPLE
D3 = (3(n+1))/10 th value of the observation
D3 = (3(7 + 1 ))/10 th value of the observation
D3 = 24/10
D3 = 2.4 th value of the observation
D3 = 2nd observation + 0.4[3rd-2nd]
D3 = 3 + 0.4[4-3]
D3 = 3 + 0.4(1)
D3 = 3 + 0.4
D3 = 3.4
 EXAMPLE
P20 = (20(n+1))/100 th value of the observation
P20 = (20(8))/100 th value of the observation
P20 = 160/100 th value of the observation
P20 = 1.6 th value of the observation
P20 = 1st observation + 0.6[2nd-1st]
P20 = 2 + 0.6[3-2]
P20 = 2 + 0.6(1)
P20 = 2+0.6
P20 = 2.6
 EXAMPLE
Classes Tally Freq TCB CM RF (%) CF RCF (%)
< > < >
5.7 - 6.3 IIIII - III 8 5.65 - 6.35 6.0 26.67 30 8 100.00 26.67
5.0 - 5.6 II 2 4.95 - 5.65 5.3 6.67 22 10 73.33 33.33
4.3 - 4.9 IIIII 5 4.25 - 4.95 4.6 16.67 20 15 66.67 50.00
3.6 - 4.2 IIIII 5 3.55 - 4.25 3.9 16.67 15 20 50.00 66.67
2.9 - 3.5 III 3 2.85 - 3.55 3.2 10.00 10 23 33.33 76.67
2.2 - 2.8 IIIII - 11 7 2.15 - 2.85 2.5 23.33 7 30 23.33 100.00
TOTAL 30
 EXAMPLE
2. Find the Q3, D7 and P65 in the FDT:
Q3 = 3(30)/4 = 90/4 = 22.5th

Q3 = 5.65 + 0.7 22.5 - 22

-----------------
8
Q3 = 5.65 + 0.7 (0.5/8)
Q3 = 5.65 + 0.7 ( 0.06)
Q3 = 5.65 + 0.04
Q3 = 5.69
 EXAMPLE
D7 = 7(30)/10 = 210/10 = 21st

D7 = 4.95 + 0.7 21 - 20
-----------------
2
D7 = 4.95 + 0.7 (1/2)
D7 = 4.95 + 0.7 (0.5)
D7 = 4.95 + 0.35
D7 = 5.3
 EXAMPLE
P65 = 65(30)/100 = 1950/100 = 19.5th

P65 = 4.25 + 0.7 19.5 - 15

-----------------
5
P65 = 4.25 + 0.7 (4.5/5)
P65 = 4.25 + 0.7 (0.9)
P65 = 4.25 + 0.63
P65 = 4.88
 EXAMPLE
`Classes1 Tally freq TCB CM RF (%) CF RCF (%)
< > < >
5-8 IIIII-IIII 9 4.5 - 8.5 6.5 36 9 25 36 100
9 - 12 IIII 4 8.5 - 12.5 10.5 16 13 16 52 64
13 - 16 IIIII 5 12.5 - 16.5 14.5 20 18 12 72 48
17 - 20 IIII 4 16.5 - 20.5 18.5 16 22 7 88 28
21 - 24 III 3 20.5 - 24.5 22.5 12 25 3 100 12
TOTAL 25 100
 EXAMPLE
3. Find the Q2, D6 and P75 in the FDT:
Q2 = 2(25)/4 = 50/4 = 12.5th

Q3 = 8.5 + 4 12.5 - 9
-----------------
4
Q3 = 8.5 + 4 (3.5/4)
Q3 = 8.5 + 4 ( 0.88)
Q3 = 8.5 + 3.52
Q3 = 12.02
 EXAMPLE
D6 = 6(25)/10 = 15/10 = 15th

D7 = 12.5 + 4 15 - 13
-----------------
5
D7 = 12.5 + 4 (2/5)
D7 = 12.5 + 4 (0.4)
D7 = 12.5 + 1.6
D7 = 14.1
 EXAMPLE
P75 = 75(25)/100 = 1875/100 = 18.75th

P75 = 16.5 + 4 19.5 - 18

-----------------
4
P75 = 16.5 + 4 (1.5/4)
P75 = 16.5 + 4 (0.38)
P75 = 16.5 + 1.5
P75 = 18