How is the mean calculated in a distribution of scores?

The mean is calculated by finding the arithmetic average of all scores within a distribution. This involves adding together all the individual scores and then dividing that sum by the total number of scores. The mean provides a central value that represents the data set as a whole, making it an important measure of central tendency in statistics.

In contrast, other measures like the middle score pertain to the median, while the difference between the highest and lowest scores refers to the range, and the most frequently occurring score corresponds to the mode. Each of these is a distinct concept in statistics, relevant for different contexts, but only the arithmetic average accurately defines how the mean is computed.