The ____ is preferred when data are severely skewed.
(a) Mean
(b) Mode
(c) Median
(d) Range
✅ Correct option: (c) Median
Explanation:
The median is the preferred measure of central tendency when data are severely skewed because it is not affected by extreme values. The median simply identifies the middle value of ordered data, making it resistant to outliers. In skewed distributions, the mean is pulled toward the extreme values, giving a misleading picture of the center. Therefore, the median provides a more accurate representation of typical values in such cases. This is especially important in income, housing prices, and test scores with extreme results.
10 Related PPSC Facts:
Median resists outliers. Median is positional measure. Mean shifts in skewed data. Median is used in income data. Median divides data into halves. Median works with ordinal data. Skewed data distort mean. Median is stable. Median equals mean in normal data. Median preferred in social sciences.