What does the median represent in a data set?

The median represents the middle score in a distribution of data when it is arranged in ascending or descending order. This measure of central tendency is particularly useful because it effectively divides the dataset into two equal halves, meaning that 50% of the data points fall below the median and 50% rise above it.

This characteristic makes the median resilient to extreme values or outliers, which can skew the average, or mean. In contrast, the average considers all values in the dataset, which can be misleading in distributions with significant outliers. The median provides a clearer picture of the central tendency when the dataset might be unevenly distributed.

The highest score indicates the maximum value in the dataset, while the lowest score indicates the minimum value, neither of which provides a measure of central tendency. The average, or mean, involves summing all the scores and dividing by the count, which, as stated, can be affected by outliers. In contrast, the median remains stable in fluctuating datasets, thus serving as a reliable indicator of the distribution's center.