The Bell Curve in Psychological Research and Practice: Myth or Reality? |
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Authors: | Riccardo Sartori |
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Institution: | (1) Centro Docimologico, Department of Psychology and Cultural Anthropology, University of Verona, Italy |
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Abstract: | The expression “the bell curve” designs both a kind of statistical distribution and the title of a famous and controversial
book by Herrnstein and Murray. The first is so attractive that the second refers to it to give more credibility to its questionable
theories on intelligence. The point is that, during the 20th century, the bell curve has assumed a more and more important
role in psychological research and practice and have become both a reality and a myth. In the first case (reality) we can
assist to appropriate applications of a real useful statistical concept. In the second (myth) we can have two kinds of attitudes:
one attitude is typical of those researchers who search for normality in all their data and variables, just as Parsifal used
to search for the Holy Graal (we call this “the Parsifal attitude”); the other is typical of those researchers who give normality
for granted and act as if it were a Platonic Idea (we call this “the Plato attitude”). The article discusses the role of the
normal distribution in psychological research and practice and shows how it can be dangerous to treat the bell curve as a
God or an Idol. |
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Keywords: | normal distribution psychological measurement and testing intelligence and IQ scores |
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