Answers to Test Yourself
Below are answers to the chapter Test Yourself feature.
(1 a). Mean: 4, Median: 4, Mode: 4 (1b). Mean: 2, Median: 1, Mode: 1 (1c). Mean: 4.2, Median: 3, Mode: 2, 7 (2a) Each measure of central tendency is the same, so they are all equally representative. (2b). The mean is most representative. A median might normally be good for a set of scores skewed to one end, but in this case the most common score is the lowest possible score. The mean provides a bit more balance, since the range runs from 1-7. (2c). The mean, because it balances a set of scores heavy on the low and high ends. (3) The mean is best when the distribution is symmetrical. The median is better when one or two outliers skew the distribution. The mode is good when there are many scores at the high end and low end. (4) a (5) a (6) b (7) c (8) d (9) b (10) a (11) b (12) b (13) c (14a) SD: .75 (14b) SD: 2.07 (14c) SD: 2.13 (15) Answers may vary. (16) a (17) b (18) a (19) If we did not square the deviations from the mean, the sum of the deviations would be zero. We need a value to work with. (20) c (21) a (22) b (23) b (24) b (25) b