?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rft.title=On+the+Theoretical+Derivation+of+the+Normal+Distribution+for+Psychological+Phenomena&rft.creator=Snyder%2C+Douglas+M.&rft.subject=Cognitive+Psychology&rft.description=Though+research+has+indicated+that+distributions+of+certain+psychological+phenomena+such+as+intelligence+(as+it+is+assessed+on+various+intelligence+tests)+are+approximately+normal+as+a+rule%2C+insufficient+attention+has+been+paid+to+the+importance+of+theoretically+deriving+the+normal+distribution+for+psychological+phenomena+from+first+principles.+If+one+accomplishes+this+task+in+a+manner+similar+to+that+found+in+statistical+mechanics+and+thermal+physics+(and+I+am+not+aware+of+another+plausible+theoretical+derivation)%2C+the+premise+is+made+that+randomness+lies+at+the+foundation+of+the+psychological+phenomena+so+described.+These+phenomena+are+in+their+very+nature+indisputably+characterized+by+some+degree+of+order.&rft.date=1986&rft.type=Journal+(Paginated)&rft.type=PeerReviewed&rft.format=application%2Fpdf&rft.identifier=http%3A%2F%2Fcogprints.org%2F817%2F3%2FTheoret.pdf&rft.identifier=++Snyder%2C+Douglas+M.++(1986)+On+the+Theoretical+Derivation+of+the+Normal+Distribution+for+Psychological+Phenomena.++%5BJournal+(Paginated)%5D+++++&rft.relation=http%3A%2F%2Fcogprints.org%2F817%2F