Final answer:
Statistical measures of "central tendency" indicate the average value within a set of data. The mean, median, and mode each describe central tendency in different ways, with the mean being sensitive to outliers and the median providing a robust central value in their presence.
Step-by-step explanation:
Statistical measures of "central tendency" represent the average value in a distribution of numbers. These measures include the mean, median, and mode, each providing a different type of average. The mean, often referred to as the arithmetic mean or average, is the sum of all observations divided by the number of observations. The median is the middle value that divides the data set into two halves when the data is ordered from smallest to largest. The mode is the most frequently occurring value in the data set.
Central tendency provides a concise summary of a data set and is particularly useful for comparison purposes. The mean is useful for further statistical analysis, although it is sensitive to outliers. In contrast, the median is often the preferred measure of central tendency when a data set contains outliers, as it is not influenced by extreme values. The mode is used when one is interested in the most common value and can be particularly relevant for categorical variables.
Overall, central tendency helps us understand the typical or common value in a distribution and is an essential concept in descriptive statistics.