25/01/2023 13:56 Normal Distribution (Bell Curve) | Definition, Examples, & Graph

Statistics (https://www.simplypsychology.org/statistics.html) /  Normal Distribution

Introduction to the Normal Distribution (Bell Curve)

By Dr. Saul McLeod (saul-mcleod.html), published 2019

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25/01/2023 13:56 Normal Distribution (Bell Curve) | Definition, Examples, & Graph
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What are the properties of the normal distribution?

The normal distribution is a continuous probability distribution that is symmetrical on both sides
of the mean, so the right side of the center is a mirror image of the left side.

The area under the normal distribution curve represents probability and the total area under the
curve sums to one.

Most of the continuous data values in a normal distribution tend to cluster around the mean, and
the further a value is from the mean, the less likely it is to occur. The tails are asymptotic, which
means that they approach but never quite meet the horizon (i.e. x-axis).

For a perfectly normal distribution the mean, median and mode will be the same value, visually
represented by the peak of the curve.

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25/01/2023 13:56 Normal Distribution (Bell Curve) | Definition, Examples, & Graph
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The normal distribution is often called the bell curve because the graph of its probability density
looks like a bell. It is also known as called Gaussian distribution, after the German mathematician
Carl Gauss who first described it.

What is the difference between a normal distribution and a standard

normal distribution?

A normal distribution is determined by two parameters the mean and the variance. A normal
distribution with a mean of 0 and a standard deviation of 1 is called a standard normal distribution.

  
Figure 1. A standard normal distribution (SND).

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25/01/2023 13:56 Normal Distribution (Bell Curve) | Definition, Examples, & Graph
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This is the distribution that is used to construct tables of the normal distribution (z-table.html).

Why is the normal distribution important?

The bell-shaped curve is a common feature of nature and psychology

The normal distribution is the most important probability distribution in statistics because
many continuous data in nature and psychology displays this bell-shaped curve when compiled
and graphed.

For example, if we randomly sampled 100 individuals we would expect to see a normal
distribution frequency curve for many continuous variables, such as IQ, height, weight and
blood pressure.

Parametric significance tests require a normal distribution of the samples' data points

The most powerful (parametric) statistical tests used by psychologists require data to be
normally distributed. If the data does not resemble a bell curve researchers may have to use a
less powerful type of statistical test, called non-parametric statistics.

Converting the raw scores of a normal distribution to z-scores

We can standardized the values (raw scores) of a normal distribution by converting them into
z-scores.

This procedure allows researchers to determine the proportion of the values that fall within a
specified number of standard deviations from the mean (i.e. calculate the empirical rule).

Probability and the normal curve: What is the empirical rule

formula?

The empirical rule in statistics allows researchers to determine the proportion of values that fall
within certain distances from the mean. The empirical rule is often referred to as the three-sigma
rule or the 68-95-99.7 rule.

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25/01/2023 13:56 Normal Distribution (Bell Curve) | Definition, Examples, & Graph
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If the data values in a normal distribution are converted to standard score (z-score.html) (z-score)
in a standard normal distribution the empirical rule describes the percentage of the data that fall
within specific numbers of standard deviations (σ) from the mean (μ) for bell-shaped curves.

The empirical rule allows researchers to calculate the probability of randomly obtaining a score
from a normal distribution.

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25/01/2023 13:56 Normal Distribution (Bell Curve) | Definition, Examples, & Graph
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68% of data falls within the first standard deviation from the mean. This means there is
a 68% probability of randomly selecting a score between -1 and +1 standard deviations
from the mean.

95% of the values fall within two standard deviations from the mean. This means there
is a 95% probability of randomly selecting a score between -2 and +2 standard
deviations from the mean.

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25/01/2023 13:56 Normal Distribution (Bell Curve) | Definition, Examples, & Graph
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99.7% of data will fall within three standard deviations from the mean. This means there
is a 99.7% probability of randomly selecting a score between -3 and +3 standard
deviations from the mean.

How can I check if my data follows a normal distribution?

Statistical software (such as SPSS) can be used to check if your dataset is normally distributed by
calculating the three measures of central tendency. If the mean, median and mode are very similar
values there is a good chance that the data follows a bell-shaped distribution (SPSS command
here).

It is also advisable to a frequency graph too, so you can check the visual shape of your data (If your
chart is a histogram, you can add a distribution curve using SPSS: From the menus choose:
Elements > Show Distribution Curve).

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25/01/2023 13:56 Normal Distribution (Bell Curve) | Definition, Examples, & Graph
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Normal distributions become more apparent (i.e. perfect) the finer the level of measurement and
the larger the sample from a population.

You can also calculate coefficients which tell us about the size of the distribution tails in relation to
the bump in the middle of the bell curve. For example, Kolmogorov Smirnov and Shapiro-Wilk
tests can be calculated using SPSS.

These tests compare your data to a normal distribution and provide a p-value, which if significant
(p < .05) indicates your data is different to a normal distribution (thus, on this occasion we do not
want a significant result and need a p-value higher than 0.05).

Further Information

Z-Score: Definition, Calculation and Interpretation (z-score.html)

Deep Definition of the Normal Distribution (Kahn Academy) 

(https://www.khanacademy.org/math/statistics-probability/modeling-distributions-of-

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25/01/2023 13:56 Normal Distribution (Bell Curve) | Definition, Examples, & Graph
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data/more-on-normal-distributions/v/introduction-to-the-normal-distribution)

Standard Normal Distribution and the Empirical Rule (Kahn Academy) 

(https://www.khanacademy.org/math/statistics-probability/modeling-distributions-of-
data/normal-distributions-library/v/ck12-org-exercise-standard-normal-distribution-and-the-
empirical-rule)

What Is the Central Limit Theorem? (central-limit-theorem.html)

Sampling Distribution (sampling-distribution.html)

Kurtosis (kurtosis.html)

What a p-value Tells You About Statistical Significance (p-value.html)

Statistics for Psychology (statistics.html)

Statistics for Psychology Book Download 

(https://www.researchgate.net/file.PostFileLoader.html?
id=56c2be315f7f7152d08b4567&assetKey=AS:329638069981184@1455603249024)

How to reference this article:

McLeod, S. A. (2019, May 28). Introduction to the normal distribution (bell curve). Simply psychology:

https://www.simplypsychology.org/normal-distribution.html

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