CED Fundamentals of Psychology Practice Test

The correct term for a distribution that is asymmetrically skewed with most scores toward the lower end is a negative skew. In a negatively skewed distribution, the tail on the left side of the distribution is longer or fatter than the right side, meaning that a significant portion of the data points or scores are concentrated at the higher end, while fewer scores exist at the lower end of the scale.

This characteristic indicates that most individuals or scores are clustered toward the higher values, resulting in a lower mean relative to the median. Understanding the nature of skewness is critical in data analysis, as it can influence statistical measures and interpretations.

In contrast, a normal distribution is symmetric with a bell-shaped curve, indicating that scores are evenly distributed around the mean. A positive skew has most scores toward the lower end, which is the opposite of what is described in the question. A bimodal distribution features two distinct peaks in the frequency of scores, rather than a skewed pattern.

Thus, the concept of negative skew accurately captures the scenario described in the question.