Which measure of central tendency is obtained by adding all scores and dividing by the number of scores?

The measure of central tendency obtained by adding all scores and then dividing by the number of scores is known as the mean. This statistical average provides a single value that represents the overall level of the data set. The mean is particularly useful as it takes into account every score in the set, making it sensitive to all values, including outliers.

In datasets where values are evenly distributed, the mean effectively reflects the central location of the data. It’s calculated with the formula:

Mean = (Sum of all scores) / (Number of scores).

This definition clearly distinguishes the mean from other measures of central tendency. The median, for instance, is the middle value in a sorted list of numbers and does not require summing the scores. The mode, which indicates the most frequently occurring score in a dataset, focuses entirely on frequency rather than value. Lastly, the range measures the difference between the highest and lowest scores, providing insight into the spread of the data rather than a central value.