Deck 3: Measures of Central Tendency and Variability

Question 1

Which measure of central tendency is always present as an actual case value within a data set?

A) the mode
B) the median
C) the mean
D) the trimmed mean

Answer 1

the mode

Question 2

In a social work course, an instructor wishes to assign a final grade based upon 10 percent for class discussion, 40 percent for a term paper, and 25 percent for each of two examinations. What measure of central tendency should she use in computing her final grades?

A) the mean
B) the median
C) the trimmed mean
D) the weighted mean

Answer 2

the weighted mean

Question 3

The statement that "the largest number of assaults in our city were gang-related" is another way of describing what statisticians refer to as the:

A) mode.
B) mean.
C) variance.
D) standard deviation.

Answer 3

mode.

Question 4

In a box plot, what do any numbered dots above or below the horizontal lines that are outside the box represent?

A) the number of cases in the data set
B) the case numbers of any outliers
C) the frequency for the value that is the mode
D) the range

Question 5

A case value that is much larger or much smaller than most other values in a data set is called:

A) a weighted mean.
B) an outlier.
C) a trimmed mean.
D) a mode

Question 6

An extremely large or small measurement of a variable has the greatest effect on the variable's

A) median
B) range
C) inter-quartile range
D) mode

Question 7

In a box plot, what does the horizontal line within the box represent?

A) the trimmed mean
B) the median
C) the 25^th percentile rank
D) the 75^th percentile rank

Question 8

A measure of central tendency describes what was of a variable within a data set.

A) the most unusual measurement
B) the amount of variation in measurements
C) a typical measurement
D) the accuracy of measurements

Question 9

A measure of central tendency that is used to cancel out the effects of a few extremely large or small values of a variable within a data set is the:

A) mode
B) mean
C) trimmed mean
D) weighted mean

Question 10

If an instructor adds five points to everyone's grade on an exam, what will not change?

A) the mode
B) the mean
C) the median
D) the standard deviation

Question 11

What measure of variability uses only two case values in its computation?

A) the range
B) the inter-quartile range
C) the mean deviation
D) the variance

Question 12

In a distribution of a variable that can be described as "bimodal,"

A) the mode, median, and mean all are about equal.
B) the value with the highest frequency is twice as large as any other value.
C) there are two values with about the same (the highest) frequencies.
D) the mean is twice as large as the median.

Question 13

With what measure of variability do larger numbers represent more variation in the distribution of a variable?

A) the range
B) the inter-quartile range
C) the standard deviation
D) all of the above

Question 14

What measure of variability is the square root of the variance?

A) the mean
B) the mean deviation
C) the standard deviation
D) the inter-quartile range

Question 15

Which measure of central tendency always falls at about the 50^th percentile rank?

A) the mode
B) the median
C) the mean
D) the weighted mean