Final answer:
When choosing a measure of central tendency, one should consider the measurement scale and the shape of the graph; the mean is for symmetrical data without outliers, the median for skewed or outlier-containing data, and the mode for categorical data or when data has frequent recurring values.
Step-by-step explanation:
In order to decide which measure of central tendency to use, we should consider the measurement scale and the shape of the graph. Each measure has its own benefits and is suitable for certain kinds of data.
For example, the mean is suitable for data that is symmetrical and doesn't contain outliers, as it provides the arithmetic average. The median is the middle number in a sorted, ascending or descending, list of numbers and can be more appropriate for skewed data or when outliers are present.
The mode is the value that appears most often and is particularly useful with categorical data. Examining the shape of the data distribution can also help in choosing the most appropriate measure.
A symmetric distribution may lend itself well to using the mean, while a skewed distribution might make the median a better choice. The mode might be the measure of choice for data that has one or several values that occur more frequently.