What type of distribution is characterized by having two distinct peaks?

A distribution characterized by having two distinct peaks is known as a bimodal distribution. This type of distribution illustrates that there are two different values or modes that have higher frequencies compared to others within the dataset, indicating the presence of two different groups within the data.

In bimodal distributions, the two peaks can suggest that there are two underlying factors or categories contributing to the data, making it particularly useful in identifying distinct populations or variations in behavior among the subjects being studied. This can be relevant in numerous psychological contexts, such as when analyzing responses to a therapy intervention that may produce different effects in different subgroups of participants.

Unimodal distributions, in contrast, have a single peak, while multimodal distributions would indicate more than two peaks, suggesting even more complexity within the data. Skewed distributions typically refer to distributions that are asymmetrical, where one tail is longer or fatter than the other, rather than showing multiple peaks.