What does the range indicate in a statistical analysis?

The range in a statistical analysis is defined as the difference between the highest and lowest scores in a data set. This measure provides insight into the spread or variability of the data. By calculating the range, one can quickly assess how much the values within a data set differ from one another, which is essential in understanding the distribution and dispersion of the data.

For example, if a data set consists of the scores 5, 10, 15, and 20, the highest score is 20 and the lowest score is 5. Therefore, the range would be calculated as 20 - 5 = 15, indicating that there is a significant difference between the lowest and highest values. The range is particularly useful in identifying the extent of variation but does not give information about the distribution of the values within that range.

This distinguishes it from the average score, which reflects the central location of the data, the highest score itself, which simply indicates one extreme of the data set, and central tendency measures that summarize the overall data characteristics, such as mean or median. Each of these alternatives serves a different analytical purpose and does not capture the concept of variability that the range represents.