An Alternative to the Mean
Abstract:
Information on a population of interest is typically gathered by drawing a sample from that population. The distribution of sample responses on a variable of interest is used as an approximation of the population distribution. Usually the sample mean. This statistic is, then, viewed as the value that "typifies," or characterizes the population of interest. While this practice of relying upon the sample mean to represent the population is generally sound, there are instances when the mean should not be relied upon. This paper discusses the use of an alternative statistic, the sample median, in such instances.
