Measures of

Central Tendency

A measure of central tendency is

any single value that is used to
identify the center of the data
or typical value. It describes the
representative value of a set of
data.
3 Types:
Mean
Median
Mode

MEAN
most popular measure of
central location
defined as the arithmetic
average of the set
calculated by summing all
values, then dividing by the
number of values.

MEAN
Advantages:
(1) Most popular measure in fields
such as business, engineering and
computer science.
(2) It is unique - there is only one
answer.
(3) Useful when comparing sets of
data.

Disadvantages:
(1) Affected by extreme values

MEAN of Ungrouped Data (Used for

few cases, N < 30)
1. Get the num of scores.
2. Divide the sum by the number
of cases (N).
Formula :

X
N

where :
X is the mean
X each score in the observation
N the number of cases

MEAN of Grouped Data (Used for

large cases, N => 30)
Using Midpoint Method
1. Group the data in the form of a
frequency distribution.
2.Compute the midpoints of all class
limits (x)
3.Multiply the midpoints by their
corresponding frequencies. (fx)
4.Get the sum of the products of
the midpoints and frequencies.
(fx)
5.Divide the sum by the number of
cases (N).

MEAN of Grouped Data (Used for

large cases, N => 30)
Using Midpoint Method
Formula :

fx

X
N

where :
X is the mean
f frequency of each interval
x midpoint of each interval
N the number of cases

MEAN of Grouped Data (Used

for large cases, N => 30)
Using Class Deviation Method
1. Choose your arbitrary point or
origin from any of the class
limits.
2.Get the midpoint of the class
limit that you have chosen as
your starting point. Call this
your assumed mean (AM).

MEAN of Grouped Data (Used for

large cases, N => 30)
Using Class Deviation Method
3. Get the deviation (D) of each
class limit from the class limit
where the assumed mean is. The
deviation of the class limit where
the assumed mean is located is
0. Add one (+1) to each class
limit higher than this point of
origin and subtract one (-1) to
the class limit lower than the
origin.

MEAN of Grouped Data (Used for

large cases, N => 30)
Using Class Deviation Method
4. Multiply the frequencies by their
corresponding deviations (fD).
5. Add the products of the
frequencies and deviations
(fD).
6. Divide the sum by the number
of cases ((fD)/N)
7. Multiply the quotient by the
interval size (c).
8. Add the product to the assumed
mean.

MEAN of Grouped Data (Used for

large cases, N => 30)
Using Class Deviation Method
fD

Formula : X AM c

where :
X is the mean
AM assumed mean
c class/interval size
f frequency of each interval
D deviation of each class limit
N the number of cases

MEDIAN
the middle score in a group of
scores that are ranked.
the positional middle of an array
defined as the middle value when
observations are ordered from
smallest to largest (or vice versa)
Divides the dataset into two parts
of equal size, with 50% of the
values below the median and 50%
of the values above the median

MEDIAN
Advantages:
(1) extreme values do not affect the
median as strongly as they do the
mean
(2)useful when comparing sets of
data
(3) it is unique there is only one
answer
Disadvantages:
(1) not as popular as mean

MEDIAN of Ungrouped Data

Case 1: The total number of cases in an
odd number
1. Arrange the scores from highest to
lowest or vice versa
2. Get the middlemost score. The score
is the median score.
Case 2: The total number of cases is an
even number
1. Arrange the scores from highest to
lowest or vice versa
2. Get the two middlemost score
3. Compute the average of the two
middlemost scores. The average is
the median score.

MEDIAN of Grouped Data

Using Lower Limit)
1.

Compute the less than cumulative

frequency (<CF).
2. Find the number of cases in the
distribution (N).
3. Find the <CF which is equal to or closest
but higher than the half of the number
of cases. The class containing this
frequency is the median class.
4. Find the lower true class boundaries
(LTCB) of the median class.
5. Get the cumulative frequency of the
class below the median class (CFb).
6. Get the frequency of the median class
(fMd)
7. Find the interval size (c) then follow the
formula.

MEDIAN of Grouped Data

(Lower Limit)
~
Formula : X LTCBMd

CF

b
2

c
f Md

where :
~
X is the median
LTCBMd lower true class boundaries of the
median class
c class/interval size
CFb cumulative frequency of the class below
the median class
f Md frequency of the median class
N the number of cases

MEDIAN of Grouped Data

(Upper Limit)
~
Formula : X UTCBMd

CF

Md
2
c
f Md

where :
~
X is the median
UTCBMd upper trueclass boundaries of the
median class
c class/interval size
CFMd cumulative frequency of the class below
the median class
f Md frequency of the median class
N the number of cases

MODE
it is the observed value that occurs most
frequently
it locates the point where the
observation values occur with the
greatest density
it is possible to have more than one
mode, and it is possible to have no
mode, if there is no mode, write no
mode, do not write 0
when there is no mode, it is described as
a rectangular distribution
the data is said to be unimodal if there is
only one mode, bimodal if there are two
modes, trimodal if there are three
modes, when there are more than three
modes, they are called polymodal or
multimodal

MODE
Advantages:
(1) extreme values do not affect the
mode
Disadvantages:
(1) not as popular as mean and median
(2) not necessarily unique may have
more than one value
(3) when no values repeat in the data
set, the mode is every value and is
useless
(4) when there is more than one mode,
it is difficult to interpret and/or
compare

MODE of Ungrouped Data

Get the most frequent score or
simply find the score or the value
that occurs the most.

MODE of Grouped Data (1)

Crude Mode: Refers to the midpoint of the class limit with
the highest frequency.
1. Find the class limit with the highest frequency.
2. Get the mid-point of that class limit.
3. The midpoint of the class limit with the highest frequency
is the crude mode.

MODE of Grouped Data (2)

Refined Mode: Refers to the mode
obtained from an ordered
arrangements or a class frequency
distribution.
1. Get the mean and the median of
the grouped data.
2. Multiply the median by 3 (3Md).
3. Multiply the mean by two
(2Mn).
4. Subtract 2Mn from 3Md to get
the Mode.
~
Formula : X 3 X 2 X

MODE of Grouped Data (3)

Use the formula below:

f Mo f b

X LTCBMo c
2 f Mo f b f a
where:
LTCBMo = the lower class boundary
of the modal class
c = class size
fMo = frequency of the modal class
fb = frequency of the class
preceding the modal class
fa = frequency of the class following
the modal class