Variance (s²) may be defined as ______.

A) the most common or frequently occurring score in a distribution
B) the average squared deviation of a score from the mean
C) the mathematical average
D) the score that splits a distribution into two equal halves

Squared Deviation

The squared differences between each observation and the mean, used as part of the calculation for variance.

Variance

A measure of the dispersion representing the average of the squared differences from the Mean.

Score

A numerical or categorical representation of a performance, achievement, or the outcome of an assessment.