What term describes a normal distribution characterized by a kurtosis value of 3?

Study for the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy) Research Methods Test. Review flashcards and multiple choice questions with explanations and hints. Prepare effectively for your examination!

The term that describes a normal distribution characterized by a kurtosis value of 3 is "Mesokurtic." In statistical terms, kurtosis refers to the "tailedness" of the probability distribution of a real-valued random variable. A kurtosis value of 3 is the benchmark for mesokurtic distributions, indicating a normal distribution shape with moderate tails. This trait means that the data has a similar peak and tail characteristics as the standard normal distribution, neither excessively peaked nor excessively flat.

Other types of kurtosis, such as leptokurtic or platykurtic, refer to distributions that either have heavier tails and a sharper peak (leptokurtic, with kurtosis greater than 3) or lighter tails and a flatter peak (platykurtic, with kurtosis less than 3). The option "Acyclic" does not pertain to the context of kurtosis or distribution characteristics. Therefore, the correct association with a kurtosis value of 3 is indeed mesokurtic.

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