Chapter VI:

The Normal Distribution

Chapter Outline
6.1 The Importance of Normal Distribution
6.2 Properties of the Normal Distribution
6.3 Areas Under the Normal Curve

The Importance of Normal Distribution

9
9Normal
Normallimits
limitsfor
forbiological
biologicalmarkers
markersthat
thatare
arenormally
normally
distributed,
distributed,the
theobservations
observationsfall
fallwithin
withinthe
the2.5%
2.5%of
ofthe
thelower
lower
and
andupper
uppertails
tailsof
ofaalarge
largeset
setof
ofobservations
observationsobtained
obtainedfrom
fromaa
group
groupof
ofpresumably
presumablyhealthy
healthypersons
persons
9
9 Calculated
Calculatedby
byadding
addingand
andsubtracting
subtractingtwo
twostandard
standarddeviations
deviations
from
fromthe
themean
mean

9
9Normal
Normaldistribution
distributionisisalso
alsocalled
calledGaussian
Gaussiandistribution
distribution
9
9Why
Whythe
thenormal
normaldistribution
distributionisispopular
popular
99

Possess
Possesscertain
certainmathematical
mathematicalproperties
propertiesthat
thatmake
makeititattractive
attractiveand
and
easy
easyto
tomanipulate
manipulate

99
99

The
Theassumption
assumptionof
ofmuch
muchstatistical
statisticaltheory
theoryand
andmethodology
methodology
Basic
Basicfor
forthe
theuse
useof
ofinferential
inferentialstatistics
statistics

Properties of the Normal Distribution

9
-shaped curve
9AAsymmetrical
symmetricalbell
bell-shaped
curve
9
9The
Thearea
areabetween
betweenany
anytwo
twodesignated
designatedpoints
pointsisisalways
alwaysthe
thesame
same
99

The
al to
Theamount
amountofofarea
areaunder
underthe
thenormal
normalcurve
curveisisdirectly
directlyproportion
proportional
tothe
the
percentage
percentageofofraw
rawscores
scores

Figure 6.1 Important divisions of the Normal Distribution of SAT scores

Properties of the Normal Distribution

9
9The
Thenormal
normaldistribution
distributionisisaatheoretical
theoreticaldistribution
distributiondefined
definedby
by
two
twoparameters:
parameters:the
themean
meanand
andthe
thestandard
standarddeviation
deviation

y =

1
1 x
exp

2

2

Areas under the Normal Curve

9
9Standard
Standardnormal
normaldistribution
distribution00mean
meanand
and11variance
variance
9
9ZZscore,
score,ZZvalue,
value,or
orstandard
standardscore
score

Areas under the Normal Curve

9
9Standardization
Standardization

Areas under the Normal Curve

99Let
ally
Letus
usassume
assumethat
thatthe
theSAT
SATscores
scoresof
ofaagiven
givenpopulation
populationare
arenorm
normally
distributed
distributedwith
withmean
meanof
of500
500and
andstandard
standarddeviation
deviationof
of100.
100.
99What
Whatisisthe
theproportion
proportionof
ofpersons
personshaving
havingSAT
SATmath
mathscores
scoresbetween
between500
500
and
and650?
650?
99What
Whatproportion
proportionof
ofpersons
personshas
hasSAT
SATscores
scoresgreater
greaterthan
than650?
650?

Areas under the Normal Curve

9
9What
Whatisisthe
theproportion
proportionof
ofpersons
personswith
withSAT
SATscores
scoresbetween
between
380
380and
and620?
620?

Areas under the Normal Curve

9
9What
Whatisisthe
theproportion
proportionof
ofpersons
personswith
withSAT
SATscores
scoresbetween
between
450
450and
and670?
670?

Areas under the Normal Curve

9
9What
Whatisisthe
theZZvalue
valueof
ofthe
thenormal
normalcurve
curvethat
thatmarks
marksthe
theupper
upper
10%
10%(or
(or90th
90thpercentile)
percentile)of
ofthe
thearea?
area?
99What
Whatisisthe
the90th
90thpercentile
percentileof
ofSAT
SATscores?
scores?

Areas under the Normal Curve

99 In
f the
Inan
anAustralian
Australiannational
nationalstudy
studyofofrisk
riskfactor
factorprevalence,
prevalence,two
twooof
thepopulations
populationsinvestigated
investigated
are
nge and
aremen
menwhose
whoseblood
bloodpressures
pressuresare
arewithin
withinaanormal
normalor
oraccepted
acceptedra
range
andwho
whoare
arenot
nottaking
taking
any
ure but
anycorrective
correctivemedication,
medication,and
andmen
menwho
whohave
havehad
hadhigh
highblood
bloodpress
pressure
butwho
whoare
areatatpresent
present
undergoing
antihypertensive
drug
therapy
undergoing antihypertensive drug therapy
99 For
on, diastolic
Forthe
thepopulation
populationofofmen
menwho
whoare
arenot
nottaking
takingcorrective
correctivemedicati
medication,
diastolicblood
bloodpressure
pressure
isisappropriately
normally
distributed
with
mean
of
80.7
mmHg
and
standard
deviation
appropriately normally distributed with mean of 80.7 mmHg and standard deviationofof9.2
9.2
mmHg.
For
the
men
who
are
using
antihypertensive
drugs,
diastoli
c
blood
pressure
is
also
mmHg. For the men who are using antihypertensive drugs, diastolic blood pressure is also
approximately
andard deviation
approximatelynormally
normallydistributed
distributedwith
withmean
meanofof94.9
94.9mmHg
mmHgand
andststandard
deviationofof11.5
11.5
mm
Hg
mm Hg

Areas under the Normal Curve

9
9Our
Ourgoal
goalisisto
tobe
beable
ableto
todetermine
determinewhether
whetheraaman
manhas
hasnormal
normal
blood
bloodpressure
pressureor
orwhether
whetherhe
heisistaking
takingantihypertensive
antihypertensive
medication
medicationsolely
solelyon
onthe
thebasis
basisof
ofhis
hisdiastolic
diastolicblood
bloodpressure
pressure
reading.
reading.IfIfour
ourgoal
goalisisto
toidentify
identify90%
90%of
ofthe
theindividuals
individualswho
who
are
arecurrently
currentlytaking
takingmedication,
medication,what
whatvalue
valueof
ofdiastolic
diastolicblood
blood
pressure
pressureshould
shouldbe
bedesignated
designatedas
asthe
thelower
lowercutoff
cutoffpoint?
point?
9
9What
Whatproportion
proportionof
ofthe
themen
menwith
withnormal
normalblood
bloodpressures
pressureswill
will
be
beincorrectly
incorrectlylabeled
labeledas
asantihypertensive
antihypertensivedrug
drugusers?
users?
9
9What
What ififthe
thecutoff
cutoffwere
were90
90mm
mmHg?
Hg?