UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

The median is the middle value in an ordered set of scores and is relatively insensitive to extreme values at either end of the distribution. Even if a few scores are very high or very low, the position of the central value remains largely stable, so it often represents central tendency better than the mean in skewed distributions.

Option A:
This option, the arithmetic mean, is calculated by summing all scores and dividing by their number. A few very large or very small values can significantly influence its value, making it sensitive to extremes.

Option B:
This option, the mode, is simply the most frequent score and can be influenced by clustering and irregularities in the data. It may not represent the central point well, especially in continuous or skewed distributions.

Option C:
The geometric mean is still calculated from all scores and, although sometimes less influenced by large values than the arithmetic mean, it can still be distorted by extreme scores. It is not the standard measure chosen purely for resistance to outliers.

Option D:
This option is correct because the median is based only on the order of scores, not their exact magnitude. Extremely high or low values at the tails do not shift the middle position much, which is why the median is least affected by extreme scores.