In a distribution of scores, what do we call the score that occurs most frequently?

The score that occurs most frequently in a distribution of scores is referred to as the mode. This measurement is crucial in statistics because it indicates the most common value in a dataset, providing insight into the data's central tendency.

The mode can be particularly useful in various contexts, such as market research, where knowing the most common preference or choice among a group can guide decisions. It is different from the median, which represents the middle value when the scores are arranged in ascending or descending order, and from the mean, which is the average of all scores. The range, on the other hand, measures the spread of the scores by calculating the difference between the highest and lowest values, and does not indicate frequency. Thus, the mode is a distinct and important measure of frequency in data analysis.