Discussion 1&2 - The median and mean of a set of data

• Discussion Prompt 1

The median and mean of a set of data can often times be quite different from one another. One example of this is household income in the United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2014 Annual Social and Economic Supplement, mean household income in 2014 was $72, 641, while median household income was $51,939.

Why are the mean and median so different in this case? Find another example of a statistic in which the mean and median values would be expected to be quite different and explain the difference.

• Discussion Prompt 2

Multiple studies conducted in the United States, Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom show that the probability of dying in the hospital is higher if you are admitted on the weekend. Why might this be? What factors might contribute to this probability?  What could hospitals do to reduce/eliminate this phenomenon?

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