Statistics for People Who (Think They) Hate Statistics

by Neil J. Salkind

distribution appears, and the terms used to describe this characteristic are relative ones. For example, the term platykurtic refers to a distribution that is relatively flat compared with a normal, or bell-shaped, distribution. The term leptokurtic refers to a distribution that is relatively peaked, taller, compared with a normal, or bell-shaped, distribution. In Figure 8.10, Distribution A is platykurtic compared with Distribution B. Distribution C is leptokurtic compared with Distribution B. Figure 8.10 looks similar to Figure 8.8 for a good reason—distributions that are platykurtic, for example, are relatively more dispersed than those that are not. Similarly, a distribution that is leptokurtic is less variable or dispersed relative to others.