Final answer:
To determine if a score is unusual, one looks at where the score falls in relation to the mean and standard deviation; in the case of IQ scores, beyond one standard deviation is unusual. Robert Jordan's overly high score for the police force was one such unusual case.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine whether a particular score is unusual, we use statistical principles, particularly when evaluating defensive individuals or applicants for a job. For instance, when discussing IQ scores for a police force job applicant, one should consider the established cutoff scores that deem whether an individual's score is considered average or unusual.
IQ tests typically have an average (mean) score of 100 with a standard deviation of 15 points. Scores within one standard deviation of the mean (85 to 115) are considered average. A score significantly higher or lower than this range could be deemed unusual. In the case of Robert Jordan, who scored too high on the Wonderlic Personnel Test for the New London, Connecticut police force, the high score was considered unusual as it fell outside of the desired score range that the department had established for the position.