(Solution) Math225 Week 3 Discussion: Measures of Central Tendency and Variation

Understanding descriptive statistics, their measures of center and their variability, helps form the foundation of statistical analysis. Descriptive statistics tell us how frequently an observation occurs, what is considered average, and how far data in our sample deviate from being average. With these statistics, we are able to provide a summary of characteristics from both large and small datasets. Measures of central tendency and variability provide valuable information on their own, and form the cornerstone of the quantitative structures that we build in our research studies.

Required Resources

Read/review the following resources for this activity:

  • OpenStax Textbook: Chapter 2
  • Lesson
  • Minimum of 1 scholarly source

In your reference for this assignment, be sure to include both your text/class materials AND your outside reading(s).

Initial Post Instructions

For this Discussion, you will examine central tendency and variability in terms of pulse rate.

Find and record the pulse rate of 10 different people where you work. Tell us a little about the population from which you drew your data. Describe your findings in terms of central tendency and variability.

Consider using some of the following to help you form your initial discussion post:

What are your measures of central tendency (i.e., mean, median, and mode)? Which might be the better measure for central tendency and why?

What is the standard deviation of your data? How variable are the data (range)?

Are there any outliers? Investigate possible reasons for these outliers, and things that might limit them if further study were to be carried out.

What are some variables that should be considered in discussing your measures of central tendency and variation? Is there any skewness in your measured data?

How would you describe this data (i.e. what insights did you gain from this data)?

Follow-Up Post Instructions

Respond to at least two peers or one peer and the instructor. Further the dialogue by providing more information and clarification.

Writing Requirements

  • Minimum of 3 posts (1 initial & 2 follow-up)
  • APA format for in-text citations and list of references

Grading

This activity will be graded using the Discussion Grading Rubric. Please review the following link:

Course Outcomes (CO): 4

Due Date for Initial Post: By 11:59 p.m. MT on Wednesday

Due Date for Follow-Up Posts: By 11:59 p.m. MT on Sunday

Solution:

The table above shows the ten pulse rates as collected from my sample population. I randomly selected ten of my colleagues and measured their heart rates. As shown, the mean of the data is 89.2, the mode is 114, the median is 82, and the standard deviation is 18.83732. These results indicate that approximately 68% of the pulse rates are within 18.83732 from the mean, either to the left or right of the mean. Mode denotes the most frequently occurring value in a data set. Herein, 114 occurs twice, making it the most frequent value in the data. The median indicates the central point of the data, whereas the mean is the average of the data (Holmes, Illowsky, & Dean, 2019).

In the results, there is a significant difference between the median and the mean. This difference indicates the skewness of the data (Frost, 2018). Given that the data is skewed, the median is the most appropriate measure….Please click here to download at $5