Final answer:
In a symmetrical distribution, the mean, median, and mode are equal. Conversely, in skewed distributions, the relationship between them changes, where the mean is influenced most notably by the distribution's skewness.
Step-by-step explanation:
The mean, median, and mode of a distribution can tell us a lot about the distribution's characteristics. In a symmetrical distribution, these three measures of central tendency are identical. However, when the distribution is skewed, the mean is influenced the most by outliers and is pulled towards the tail of the distribution. Skewness affects how the mean, median, and mode relate to each other; in a right-skewed distribution, the mode is often less than the median, which is less than the mean, while in a left-skewed distribution, the mean is less than the median, which is often less than the mode. Regarding probability distributions, skewness becomes important in later discussions, especially when considering the level of symmetry and the impacts on statistical analysis.