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Psychology > Types of Distribution. > Flashcards

Types of Distribution. Flashcards

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1
Q

What shape is a normal distribution curve?

A

A bell shape.

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2
Q

The Normal Distribution Curve plots a _____ distribution of values.

A

Normal.

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3
Q

What is a characteristic of the Normal Distribution Curve (think symmetry).

A

It is symmetrical about the mid point of the horizontal axis.

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4
Q

The symmetrical point of a Normal Distribution Curve is where what?

A

Where the mean, median and mode fall in the distribution.

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5
Q

What do the tail ends of the distribution never quite meet?

A

They never quite meet the horizontal axis.

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6
Q

Where is the area of the normal distribution curve contained?

A

Between the mean in the centre and the point where one standard deviation falls on the distribution.

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7
Q

When we say that our variables are normally distributed, what do we mean by this?

A

We mean that they are close approximations to this normal curve.

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8
Q

What do statistics normally assume?

A

They assume that the values are normally distributed.

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9
Q

If the distribution is nothing like the normal one, what can this lead to?

A

This can lead to erroneous conclusions.

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10
Q
  • Interval scales use equal units
  • Distance between values are the same
  • Does this apply to psychological scales?
A

Yes, if they are standardised.

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11
Q

On a standardised scale, what does this mean?

A

The distance between the points are equal.

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12
Q

Test creators use their knowledge of the properties of a normal distribution to ____________ their Psychological Scales.

A

Standardise.

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13
Q

What does a standardised psychological scale ensure?

A

That the test produces the same proportions of people along the points of a scale.

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14
Q

Height is an example of a _______ _______ curve.

A

Normal Distribution.

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15
Q

What level do unstandardized scales operate at?

A

Ordinal Level.

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16
Q

Standardised scales operate at ______ level.

A

Interval.

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17
Q

IQ scale is also _______.

A

Standardised.

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18
Q

What do standardised scales have?

A

Normal Distribution.

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19
Q

Not all distributions are normal, what are these called?

A

Skewed Distributions.

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20
Q

What are skewed distributions described as being?

A

Lopsided.

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21
Q

Why is the type of distribution (normal or skewed) important?

A

The shape determines which central tendency and dispersion will best describe the distribution.

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22
Q

What curve plots a normal distribution of values?

A

The Normal Distribution Curve,

23
Q

Skewed distributions are _______. Where do they have their peak?

A

Lopsided.

They have their peak to one side.

24
Q

Skewed distributions have their peak to one side, what does this mean?

A

The mode is to one side.

25
Q

Skewed distributions have a ____ on one side where more than _____ the values occur.

A

Tail, Half.

26
Q

In a negatively skewed distribution, where do most of the values get clustered?

A

Around the top end of the distribution.

27
Q

Extroversion can be an example of a ______ or ________ skewed distributions.

A

Negatively, Positively.

28
Q

If mean is high, what happens?

A

People cant score much higher than the mean but lots of people can still score much lower than the mean.

29
Q

In skewed distributions, a greater number of values below the mode, does what?

A

Shifts the mean towards the tail.

30
Q

The mean gets pulled in the direction of ______.

A

skew.

31
Q

Where does the median line sit in skewed data?

A

Between the mode and mean.

32
Q

The _____ is most sensitive to extreme values.

A

Mean.

33
Q

In skewed distribution, what are the better measures of central tendency?

A

Median (or mode, but median is better than mode).

34
Q

If the mean is low, and the data is clustered at the bottom of the graph, what is this known as?

A

Positively Skewed Distribution.

35
Q

In positively skewed distribution the mean is _____.

A

Low.

36
Q

When the mean is low, most people can’t score much _____ but a significant amount can still score much __________.

A

lower, higher.

37
Q

What could reaction time be an example of?

A

A positively skewed distribution.

38
Q

In the graph, what does the highest point mean?

A

It is the mode- aka. the most frequently occurring number.

39
Q

In a positively skewed distribution, what way is the mean pulled?

A

It is pulled to the right (in the direction of skew).

40
Q

In skewed data what sits in the middle of the mode and mean?

A

The median.

41
Q

For skewed data what is the best measure of central tendency to use?

A

Median.

42
Q

In both types of skew, what is furthest from the mode?

A

The mean.

43
Q

In negative skew the mean is _____ than mode.

A

less.

44
Q

In positive skew the mean is ______ than the mode.

A

Greater.

45
Q

What will Parametric stats assume?

A

That the data is from a normal distribution.

46
Q

How do we determine whether data is screwed or not?

A

Look at mean and median of data and if they are half a standard deviation or more apart then the data is skewed.

47
Q

If the mean, mode and median are all the same the data is ______ distributed.

A

normally.

48
Q

If there is a difference between the mean, mode and median, data could be ______.

A

Skewed.

49
Q

In order to determine skew, look at the size difference between ____ and ______, compare this difference to half of the ______ ________.

A

Mean, Median, Standard Deviation.

50
Q

if skewed distribution in interval or ratio data what measures of dispersion must we use?

A

Range, IQ range or semi-IQ range.

51
Q

For normally distributed interval or ratio data, what measure of dispersion do we use?

A

Standard Deviation.

52
Q

In normal distributions what is equal? And what is the most appropriate measure of central tendency?

A

Mean=Mode=Median

The mean.

53
Q

A characteristic of skewed distribution is that what?

A

The mean, median and mode don’t lie in the same place.

54
Q

What 3 pieces of information do we use to describe a data set?

A
  • Type of Distribution
  • Measure of Central Tendency
  • Measure of dispersion.

Psychology (24 decks)

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