Mean Pros and Cons

Now that you understand the mean, let’s have a look at when you would use the mean and when you should avoid it.

In most instances, the mean gives us a more accurate centre point of the data because it takes into account every instance of a variable. It normally gives us a good view of the average.

Take a look at this image that shows the mean point of all the collected data:

However, sometimes we have outlying data that could skew our mean calculation. This could be a little problematic for showing an accurate centre point, so we might want to then consider using the mode or median calculation to get a better view.

When working with data, you will need to use your discretion to try and find the most accurate representation of what you are trying to show.