To arrive at a proper perspective for interpreting the score of any individual, it is necessary first of all to have a _distribution_ of the scores made by all the persons in the group with which the individual is to be compared. Such a distribution should show how frequently each possible score was made. The table on the left illustrates the idea of a distribution, using as material the scores quoted above for eleven individuals tested by a Mentimeter test. This table shows that one person had a score of 10, that one other had a score of 9, and that 3 was the next highest score made. The mode, or most common score, in this distribution is a 2 or a 3, which fact makes K’s score of 3 appear as quite typical of his group. The modal or most frequent score is a really useful score with which to compare the record of any individual, although it is not as safe a measure of the central tendency of a distribution as is the median score. DISTRIBUTION ═════════════╤═════════════ SIZE OF SCORE│ FREQUENCY ─────────────┼───────────── 10│ 1 9│ 1 8│ 0 7│ 0 6│ 0 5│ 0 4│ 0 3│ 3 2│ 3 1│ 1 0│ 2 ─────────────┼───────────── TOTAL │ 11 ─────────────┴───────────── The median score of a distribution is the middle score, than which there are just as many larger as smaller. The median score is found by beginning at one end of a distribution and counting through half of the frequencies. To count through half of the eleven frequencies in the above distribution would bring us into the midst of the three who had scores of 2, and therefore 2 is the median score with which K’s score, or the score of any other individual, should be compared.