Skewness

Skewness Definition

Skewness is a statistical measure used to quantify the asymmetry of a frequency distribution. It describes the degree to which the frequencies in a distribution trail towards extreme scores in one direction, deviating from the majority of cases. Understanding the shape of a distribution is crucial because it dictates which statistical measures, such as measures of central tendency, are most appropriate for accurately describing that data set.

Types of Skewness

Skewness is classified based on the direction of the asymmetry: negative skew occurs when the tail of the distribution trails towards the lower (left) scores, and positive skew occurs when the tail trails towards the higher (right) scores.