Box plot Skewness Anyone?

Question

I'm trying to answer a question about a box plot, I'm not given any raw data to work with, I'm just looking at the picture. The wiskers apear to me the same length. The x representing the mean in in the middle. the Median line is to the right of the mean. From that I can determine that the mean is less than the median. From the description, is the box plot skewed to the left or the right? And why?

Thanks,

Answer 1

If the whiskers are approximately the same length, then the skewness is not very pronounced. However, the mean will shift toward the direction of skewness even if it is slight. So in your case there is slight skewness to the left if the mean is less than the median.

Answer 2

Right Skewed Box Plot

Answer 3

Skewed Right Box Plot

Answer 4

I believe to tell the skewness of something you look at the "heavy tail" which I always thought were the whiskers.



For example, say the left whisker is way longer than the right whisker....the boxplot is skewed to the left.

Answer 5

General rule: where is the mean in relation to median?

If the mean is on the LHS of the median then negative skew.

If the mean is on the RHS of the median then postive skew