Chat about the Stat

Take a look at these test scores from the American History final exam:


Now which measure of central tendency would Adriane like to use in order to evaluate her math test score of 85? Compared to the median (86.5), her score is "below average," but, compared to the mean (82.4), it is "above average." Which measure will she probably use when she tells her parents about her score?

Both scores tell us something about Adriane's score. What does the median tell us? What does the mean tell us?

One interesting aspect of statistics is that they can be interpreted in different ways and can be used to say many different things.

Benjamin Disraeli, a nineteenth-century British statesman, once said, "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damn lies, and statistics." Can you see what he meant?

Now that you have learned about measures of central tendancy, it is time to learn about variation.


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