In an election campaign debate about the level of prosperity in Canada, the Prime Minister says, "Average income is $53,000." One of his opponents responds, "The average Canadian earns only $38,000." Both statements are true. Why is it possible that both statements are true?
A) because the opponent is using the mean
B) because the Prime Minister is using the mean
C) because the Prime Minister is citing the median
D) because the opponent is using the mode

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Prime Minister is using the mean, which can be skewed by very high incomes, while the opponent may be referring to the median, which is the middle value and not affected by extreme values.

In an Election Campaign Debate About the Level of Prosperity