In a dataset of exam scores: 45, 50, 50, 55, 60, 200 — the measure of central tendency least affected by the extreme value (200) is:
- A Mean
- B Mode
- C Median ✓
- D Range
Correct answer: C. Median
Explanation
Median (middle value after sorting) is the most resistant measure of central tendency to outliers and extreme values. Mean is heavily influenced by extreme values — here the mean would be (45+50+50+55+60+200)/6 = 76.7, far from the central cluster. Mode (50, most frequent) is also not affected by outliers. However, median is generally the preferred summary statistic for skewed distributions in biomedical data.
Reference: Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine, 27th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
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