MEASURES OF

CENTRAL TENDENCY

CENTRAL TENDENCY
: is a representative or summary of the
characteristics of a given set of data.
MEASURES OF CENTRAL
TENDENCY OF UNGROUPED DATA
Ungrouped Data or Raw Data are those
which are not yet organized or arranged
into frequency distribution. If your
number of observation is less than or
equal () to 30 it is ungrouped data.

MEAN : arithmetic average is

defined as the sum of all items or
terms divided by total number of
items or terms
Eg. Suppose you have six scores: 12, 10
, 18, 16, 20 and 14
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6
=

12+10+18+16+20+14
=
6

15

Short cut way

Population Mean

where:
=
=
=

Sample Mean

where:
=
=
=

MEDIAN :

the value of the middle

item arranging the data in an ascending or
descending order.
Example 1: Compute Example 2: Find the
for the median from
median of the
the following set of
following set of item;
scores; 6, 14, 10, 8, 2, 6, 14, 10, 8, 12 and 4
12 and 4
8 + 10
=
=9
= 8
2

MODE :
the value that
appears
with
the
highest
frequency. That is, the item that
appears most often
Example: Find the mode of the following
set of items: 4, 7, 11, 6, 4, 3, 5, 8, 9, 2
Answer: Mode is 4

Measures of Central Tendency of

Grouped Data
Grouped data are those data
organized in the forms of frequency
distribution. If the number of
observation is greater than (>) 30 it is
grouped data. These are data classified
into categories for better presentation
and analysis

ARITHMETIC MEAN
Two Methods
Long Method

=

where:
=
=
=

Short Method
Coded Formula
= +

=1 1 1

where: =

.
=
=
=
=

Example:
The
mean
score
of
the
frequency distribution of 60
students in
entrance examination is shown below
Class
Interval

Frequency

Class Mark

18-26

22

176

-2

-16

27-35

13

31

403

-1

-13

36-44

21

40

840

45-53

49

294

54-62

12

58

696

24

n=60

=
2409

= 1

SOLUTION:
Long Method

=

2409
=
= 40.15
60

Short Method
(Coded Formula)

=1 1 1
= +

1
= 40 +
9
60
= 40.15

Median

= +

<

:
=
=

< =


=

=
=

:
1. Compute the less than
cumulative frequency.
2. Find the class interval in

which , one half the total of

respondents must be equal
to or greater than to the less
than cumulative frequency
for the first time.
3. Apply the formula by
substituting the given values

Example:

Compute the median of the given data

Class Interval

Frequency

<cf

18-26

27-35

13

21

36-44

21

42

45-53

48

54-62

12

60

N=60

60
=
= 30
2
2
<

= +

= . +
= .

MODE
= +

where:
=
=
=
=
2 =
=
=
Modal Class is the class interval with the largest frequency

Example:
Compute the mode of the given data
Class Interval

Frequency

18-26

27-35

13

36-44

21

45-53

54-62

12
N=60

= +
= . +

= .

Weighted Mean:

Weighted arithmetic
mean of a given groups data is the average of the
mean of all the groups. Consider the proper weight
assigned to the observed values according to their
relative
importance

:
=
=
=

Example
A man bought 10L Solution
1 1 + 2 2 + 3 3
of premium gasoline at
=
1 + 2 + 3
P11.50/L, 12L at P12.01/
L and 18L at p11.78/L
10 11.50 + 12 12.01 + 18 11.78
from the different
=
10 + 12 + 18
gasoline stations. Find
471.6
=
= 11.78
40
the average price per
liter.
= 11.78

Example 2:

Calculate the mean of the given

responses for patients care then use the scale below
to interpret the result
Range

Equivalent
Interpretation

Description

4.21-5.00

O-Outstanding

The event/item happens all the time

or 100% of the time

3.41-4.20

VS=Very Satisfactory

The event/item happens most of the time

of 67%-99% of the time

2.61-3.40

S=Satisfactory

The event/item happens every now and t

hen or 32%-66% of the time

1.81-2.60

St=Sometimes

The event/item happens rarely or 1%-31

% of the time

1.00-1.80

N=Never

The event/item never happens or 0% of t

he time

Responses for Patients care

Item

Psychological conditioning

10

21

17

11

Spiritual Counselling

31

Involves patient in making health care plan

15

11

13

13

Provide privacy

25

16

Keeping information divinely confidential

20

15

13

Establishing rapport

21

15

10

Empathy

16

14

11

10

Identifies

25

23

Consent secure before the procedure

10

11

15

15

10

Respects clients opinion

17

30

Solution
Item

Patients Care

Total

Psychological
conditioning

10*5

21*4

17*3

11*2

1*1

208/60

3.47

Spiritual Counseling

7*5

9*4

31*3

6*2

7*1

183/60

3.05

Involves patient in
making health care plan

15*5

11*4

13*3

8*2

13*1

187/60

3.12

Provide privacy

6*5

5*4

8*3

25*2

16*1

140/60

2.33

Keeping information
divinely confidential

20*5

15*4

5*3

13*2

7*1

208/60

3.47

Establishing rapport

9*5

21*4

15*3

10*2

5*1

199/60

3.32

Empathy

16*5

14*4

11*3

9*2

10*1

197/60

3.28

Identifies

25*5

23*4

4*3

3*2

5*1

240/60

4.00

Consent secure before

the procedure

10*5

11*4

9*3

15*2

15*1

166/60

2.77

10

Respects clients opinion

17*5

5*4

4*3

30*2

4*1

181/60

3.02

Average

3.18

Interpretation
Patients Care as shown by the average
mean of 3.18. Using the given scale, 3.
18 belong to the range of 2.61-3.40.
and the equivalent interpretation is
Satisfactory.

MEASURES OF POSITION
QUANTILES: The quantiles are a natural
extension of the median concept in that they
are the values which divide the distribution in
to a given number of equal parts. While the
median divide the distribution into two parts,
the quartiles divide the distribution into four
equal parts or quartiles, ten equal parts or
deciles and one hundred equal parts or
percentiles.

UNGROUPED DATA

(+1)
4

(+1)
10

(+1)
100

Example: Find 3rd quartile for the

following data. 5, 7, 11, 1,17, 23, 19, 3,
9, 21, 15 and 13.
Solution: First thing to do is arrange the
data is ascending order.
1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23
For 3rd quartile
( + 1) 3(12 + 1)
3 =
=
= 9.75
4
4
9 + 0.75 10 9
17 + 0.75*(19-17)=18.5

After you arranged the data in

ascending order, you count what
number falls under the 9.75th
position. To get the 9.75th position,
we have to interpolate from the
given data. The 9.75th position is
interpolated from the 9th position
plus 0.75 (10th-9th). The value of the
third quartile is equal to 18.5

GROUPED DATA: QUARTILE

= +

<1

:
=
=
=
< 1 =

=

DECILE
= +

10

<1

:
=
=
=
< 1 =

=

PERCENTILE
= +

100

<1

:
=
=
=
< 1 =

=

Example:

The
following
is
a
frequency distribution of an achievement test.
Compute the third quartile 3
Class
F
<cf
Solution
Interval

3 60
=
= 45
4
4
18-26
8
8
27-35

13

21

36-44

21

42

45-53

48

54-62

12

60

N=60

< 1
4
= +

45 42
= 44.5 + 9
= 49
6

Ans: 49(third quartile)

END OF CHAPTER 3