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Skewed Distribution

Definition

A skewed distribution is a statistical term that describes the shape of a set of data in which the values are not evenly distributed around the mean. In a skewed distribution, the tail of the data points towards one side, either to the right (positive skew) or to the left (negative skew).

Analogy

Imagine you and your friends are playing basketball and shooting hoops. If everyone's shots were evenly distributed around the hoop, it would be a balanced distribution. But if most of your friends consistently miss on one side of the hoop, it would create a skewed distribution.

Related terms

Outliers: Outliers are extreme values that differ significantly from other data points in a dataset.

Mean: The mean is a measure of central tendency that represents the average value of a set of data points.

Median: The median is another measure of central tendency that represents the middle value when all data points are arranged in order.

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AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.