In the context of AP Psychology, what is the definition of the normal curve?

• A. A symmetrical, bell-shaped curve that represents the distribution of many psychological traits, with most scores falling near the mean and fewer at the extremes.
• B. A straight line that indicates a perfect correlation between two variables.
• C. A curve that represents only the highest and lowest possible scores in a data set.
• D. A graph that shows a skewed distribution where most scores cluster at one end and tail off toward the other.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand that the normal curve, also known as the normal distribution or Gaussian distribution, is a fundamental concept in psychology and statistics used to describe how traits or scores are distributed in a population.
2. Step 2: Recognize that the normal curve is characterized by its symmetrical, bell-shaped appearance, meaning the left and right sides of the curve are mirror images of each other.
3. Step 3: Note that most psychological traits, such as intelligence or personality measures, tend to cluster around the average (mean) score, which is located at the center of the curve.
4. Step 4: Understand that as you move away from the mean toward the extremes (very high or very low scores), the frequency of those scores decreases, resulting in the tapering tails of the curve.
5. Step 5: Differentiate the normal curve from other types of distributions, such as a straight line indicating perfect correlation, a curve showing only extremes, or a skewed distribution where scores cluster at one end.