Desmond is a graduate student who does a lot of work with household income data, and his samples almost always have outliers. Which measure of central tendency might be the most useful for Desmond to use?

• A. Mean.
• B. Median.
• C. Mode.
• D. Range.

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the problem: Desmond is dealing with household income data that often includes outliers. Outliers are extreme values that can skew the data.
2. Review the measures of central tendency: Mean, median, and mode are common measures. The mean is the average, the median is the middle value when data is ordered, and the mode is the most frequently occurring value.
3. Consider the impact of outliers: Outliers can significantly affect the mean, making it less representative of the data set as a whole.
4. Evaluate the median: The median is less affected by outliers because it is simply the middle value, making it a more robust measure of central tendency in the presence of outliers.
5. Conclude that the median is the most useful measure for Desmond's data, as it provides a better central tendency representation when outliers are present.