Example of Finding the Median

Sensitivity of the Mean to Outliers

What does the median represent in a distribution of scores?

A psychologist is analyzing the number of words recalled by a group of participants in a memory study. Arrange the steps below in the correct order to determine the median value of these recall scores.

A psychologist is evaluating how modifications to a dataset of reaction times (measured in milliseconds) affect the median. Match each potential data change to its specific analytical impact on the median value.

A psychologist studying cognitive test scores finds that most participants score near 50, but one participant scores 0 due to a computer error. The psychologist’s decision to report the median as the representative value is methodologically sound because the median’s focus on the middlemost position prevents this extreme score from distorting the perceived typical performance of the group.

A psychology researcher is designing a set of hypothetical results for a textbook to illustrate how the median remains stable despite extreme outliers. They need to construct a dataset of $5$ reaction times (measured in milliseconds) that satisfies two specific design criteria: (1) the median must be exactly $400$, and (2) the mean must be at least $600$ to demonstrate a significant positive skew. Which of the following datasets correctly assembles these parameters?

Example of Calculating the Median

For any distribution of scores, the median must always be one of the actual observed scores present in the original dataset.

A psychological researcher is analyzing different sets of participant scores. Match each dataset scenario with the correct rule or property used to identify or describe its median.

A researcher measures the reaction times (in seconds) of six participants completing a cognitive task. The recorded times are: 14, 8, 21, 10, 18, and 12. The median reaction time for this group of participants is _____.

A psychology researcher analyses a set of reaction times and observes that the median is a value that does not equal any of the actual observed scores in the dataset. By analyzing this outcome, the researcher can deduce that the dataset contains a(n) _____ number of scores.

A researcher is determining the most appropriate measure of central tendency to report for a dataset of cognitive processing times. Arrange the steps in the correct order to evaluate the data properties and select the representative metric.