In a survey of recent graduates, your college reports that the mean salaries of the former students are positively skewed. What are the consequences of choosing the mean rather than the median or the mode in this case?
A) The mean is likely to provide a number that is lower than the largest cluster of scores.
B) The mean is likely to provide a reliable estimate of where the scores cluster.
C) The mean is likely to provide a number that is higher than the largest cluster of scores.
D) The mean provides the 50th percentile of the distribution, making it the best choice to depict this cluster of scores.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When a distribution is positively skewed, the mean is typically higher than the median and the mode, reflecting the influence of high outliers on the calculation. Therefore, the mean salary would likely be higher than the largest cluster of salaries, which are better represented by the median or mode.

In a Survey of Recent Graduates, Your College Reports That