… Averages are useful because many traits, behaviors and outcomes are distributed in a bell-shaped curve, with most results clustered around the middle and a much smaller group of outliers at the high and low ends. … But averages can be misleading when a distribution is heavily skewed at one end, with a small number of unrepresentative outliers pulling the average in their direction. …
On average, people’s reactions to stressful events like divorce or bereavement indicate a sharp and long-lasting decline in personal well-being, followed by a slow and gradual recovery. And on average, married individuals report themselves happier than single or divorced ones. But in this new paper, “The Trouble With Averages,” the psychologist Anthony Mancini shows that treating the average response as if it was the normal or typical outcome can lead to bad social policy and inappropriate therapeutic responses. [cont.]
Stephanie Coontz (Evergreen State College), New York Times