Why The Mean is Frequently Used For Comparison

Baseline
The mean provides a baseline or reference point against which other values can be evaluated. By comparing individual values or sample statistics to the mean, researchers can determine whether
there is a significant departure from the average.

Distribution characteristics
In many statistical tests, assumptions about the distribution of data are made. The mean is often used because it is mathematically and statistically well-defined and easily interpretable. Additionally, under certain conditions, the mean can be used as an estimator of other population parameters, such as the population mean.

Central Limit Theorem
The Central Limit Theorem states that the sampling distribution of the mean tends to follow a normal distribution, regardless of the shape of the population distribution, as the sample size increases.

Hypothesis testing
When conducting hypothesis tests, researchers often compare sample means to population means or compare means between different groups. This is done to assess whether there is evidence to support a particular hypothesis or to determine if there are significant differences between groups.

While the mean is a widely used measure for comparison in inferential statistics, it is not the only measure that can be used. Depending on the research question and the characteristics of the data, other measures such as the median or mode may be employed for comparison or hypothesis testing. The choice of the appropriate measure depends on the nature of the data and the specific objectives of the analysis.