The registrar has nominal-level data on students' racial classification. What would be an appropriate measure of central tendency to report?
A) mean
B) median
C) mode
D) percent distribution

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Since racial classification is nominal-level data, it cannot be meaningfully averaged, so the mean is not appropriate. The median is also not applicable, as there is no inherent order to the categories of race. Instead, the mode, or the most frequent response, is the best measure of central tendency for nominal data. Alternatively, the percent distribution could be reported, but this would not be a measure of central tendency.

The Registrar Has Nominal-Level Data on Students' Racial Classification