Which of the following best explains why a graphical display of data might appear skewed, and how can you help ensure the data is not misleadingly skewed when visualizing it?

• A. A graphical display might be skewed if the data contains outliers or is not symmetrically distributed; to reduce skewness, you can use transformations or choose appropriate bin widths and scales when creating the graph.
• B. Skewness in a graph occurs only when the $\mathrm{mean}$ and $\mathrm{median}$ are equal; to prevent skewness, always remove the $\mathrm{median}$ from the dataset.
• C. A graphical display is always skewed if the data is qualitative; to avoid skewness, only use quantitative data in graphs.
• D. Graphs are skewed if you use too many colors; to ensure no skewness, always use black and white displays.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that skewness in a graphical display refers to the asymmetry in the distribution of data, where one tail is longer or fatter than the other.
2. Recognize that skewness often occurs when the data contains outliers or is not symmetrically distributed, which affects the shape of the graph.
3. To identify skewness, compare measures of central tendency such as the mean and median; a large difference between them often indicates skewness.
4. To reduce misleading skewness in visualizations, consider applying data transformations (like logarithmic or square root transformations) that can make the distribution more symmetric.
5. Additionally, choose appropriate bin widths for histograms or scales for other graphs to avoid exaggerating skewness and ensure the graphical display accurately represents the data.