Which measure best describes the central tendency for mid-year performance when monthly data rise and then plateau?

• A. Mean
• B. Mode
• C. Median
• D. Range

Answer: (C)

When monthly performance rises and then levels off, the data aren’t evenly distributed around a single center. The early months pull the range upward, and the plateau adds many repeated high values. The median, which is the middle observation, stays representative of the typical mid-year value even when the pattern is skewed or clustered at the high end. It isn’t dragged as much as the mean by the rising portion or by the repeated plateau values. The mean would shift with the trending upswing and the plateau, giving a center that might not reflect what most months resemble. The mode shows the most frequent value—often the plateau value—but it doesn’t necessarily capture the overall central position of all months. Range measures spread, not center.