When Averages Attack: For the Love of Means

What is not to love about Averages? (Candy heart image with the word Averages generated by: ImageChef.com)

What is not to love about Averages?
(Courtesy: ImageChef.com)

Americans love the average. Ask the average american on the street what he knows of statistics, and they will probably answer in so many words about something relating to an average (arithmetic mean). An average describes for us the central tendency of some data; the whole distribution of whose values we find it easier not to remember. Yet averages have a darkside to them, beyond sunny days on a baseball diamond figuring your favorite batter’s batting average. Let us look at statistics… when averages attack! Continue reading