Stat Unit

One important consideration in choosing a measure of central tendency is the shape of a distribution. Perhaps the most familiar shape of a distribution is the symmetrical distribution (or bell-shaped curve). If a distribution is symmetrical, the mean, median, and mode are equal or approximately equal in value.

Mean=Median=Mode

Recall, the mode is the most frequently occurring score. Hence, the mode would occur where the distribution peaks -- in this case, the center.

The median is the middle score or the score that divides the distribution into two equal halves. Because the normal curve is symmetrical (one half is identical to the other half), the median also falls in the center.

Recall, the mean is the balance point of a distribution. If the distribution is symmetrical, the point where the distribution perfectly balances will also be the center.