What are the characteristics of a good average?

Answer 1

Measure of Central Tendency or an Average of a certain distribution is nothing but a represenatative value of that distribution which ' enables us to comprehend in a single effort the significance of the whole'.
CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD AVERAGE

According to the statisticians Yule and Kendall, an average will be termed good or efficient if possesses the following characteristics:

1.It should be easily understandable.

2. It should be rigidly defined. It means that the definition should be so clear that the interpretation of the definition does not differ from person to person

3. The average should be such that it can be easily determined.

4. The average of a variable should be based on all the values of the variable. This means that in the formula for average all the values of the variable should be incorparated

5. The value of average should not change significantly along with the change in sample. This means that the values of the averages of different samples of the same size drawn from the same population should have small variations. In other words, an average should possess sampling stability

6. It should be amenable to algebraic treatment

7.The average should be unduly affected byextreme values. ie, the formula for average should be such that it does not show large due to the presence of one or two very large or very small values of the variable.