In order to predict life expectancy, a data sample is received from a local funeral parlour. The sample includes the ages (in years) of each of the customers received over the past few weeks. The following is the Excel summary statistics: Describe the shape of the age of death distribution.
(i. Since the mode is the largest of the 3 measures of central tendency, more people died at this older age than any earlier age
(ii. Since the mean age of death is the lowest of the three measures of central tendency, there must have been one or more person who died at a significantly younger age than the mode
(iii) Since the mode is the largest of the 3 measures of central tendency, everyone died at this age
A) (i) and (ii) are correct statements, but (iii) is false.
B) (ii) and (iii) are correct statements, but (i) is false.
C) (i), (ii) and (iii) are all correct statements.
D) (i) and (iii) are correct statements, but (ii) is false.
E) (i), (ii) and (iii) are all false statements.

Question

In order to predict life expectancy, a data sample is received from a local funeral parlour. The sample includes the ages (in years) of each of the customers received over the past few weeks. The following is the Excel summary statistics:  Describe the shape of the age of death distribution.
(i. Since the mode is the largest of the 3 measures of central tendency, more people died at this older age than any earlier age
(ii. Since the mean age of death is the lowest of the three measures of central tendency, there must have been one or more person who died at a significantly younger age than the mode
(iii) Since the mode is the largest of the 3 measures of central tendency, everyone died at this age
A) (i) and (ii) are correct statements, but (iii) is false. 
B) (ii) and (iii) are correct statements, but (i) is false. 
C) (i), (ii) and (iii) are all correct statements. 
D) (i) and (iii) are correct statements, but (ii) is false. 
E) (i), (ii) and (iii) are all false statements.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

(i) is a correct statement because the mode is the age at which the highest number of people died and thus, the distribution is skewed to the right.
(ii) is a correct statement because the mean is influenced by outliers (anyone who died younger than the mode), resulting in a lower mean than the mode.
(iii) is a false statement because it is unlikely that everyone died at the mode age, as the distribution would have to be perfectly symmetrical.

In Order to Predict Life Expectancy, a Data Sample Is