ABSTRACT
This chapter explores normal and skewed distributions of a set of scores and the shapes of distributions based on frequency distributions. The shape of a distribution of a set of scores can be seen by examining a frequency distribution, which is a table that shows how many participants have each score. Examination of the table indicates that most of the participants are near the middle of the distribution and that the participants are spread out on both sides of the middle with the frequencies tapering off. The shape of a distribution is even clearer when examining a frequency polygon, which is a figure that shows how many participants have each score. The curve of the frequency polygon is high on the left or the right side. Skewed distributions are named for their long tails. When the long tail is pointing to the left, a distribution is said to have a negative skew.
