Data Distribution Vocabulary

A distribution with two very common data values seen in a dot plot or histogram as distinct peaks.

A distribution where one side of the distribution has more values farther from the bulk of the data than the other side, so that the mean is not equal to the median.

A distribution with a vertical line of symmetry in the center of the graphical representation, so that the mean is equal to the median.

A distribution which has the data values evenly distributed throughout the range of the data.

A measure of the variability, or spread, of a distribution calculated by a method similar to the method for calculating the MAD (mean absolute deviation).

• standard deviation

• MAD

• mean

• mode

A data value that is unusual in that it differs quite a bit from the other values in the data set. .

• outlier

• statistic

• mean

• symmetric

The most common value in a set of data. Can be more than one number.

A measure of variability based on dividing a data set into quartiles. Calculated by subtracting the first quartile from the third quartile.

A summary statistic that represents the amount of dispersion in a data set. It defines how far away the data points tend to fall from the center. Examples: IQR (interquartile range), MAD (mean absolute deviation), and standard deviation.

• measure of variability

• measure of center

• statistics

• IQR

The middle value in a list of numbers. Found by listing your data in numerical order, then locating the number in the middle.