I typically listen to 90.9 wbur, Boston’s NPR news station, on my way to work in the morning. Today Morning Edition featured a great story about new research that suggests the Bell Curve may not give us an accurate representation of what “average” actually is.
As a school psychologist and special education administrator, I have described the distribution of student performance to parents many, many times using the Bell Curve. I have often stated that most people are Average, according to the Bell Curve 68% of people would fall into the Average range, and are performing where we would expect them to be. I have also described Average as a good descriptor and have reassured parents that average is great news.
The results of researchers Ernest O’Boyle and Herman Aguinis’ study highlight that most people are actually below average, mathematically speaking. A small number of people are well above the expected level and are superior superstars or outliers who contribute to most of the output in the various industries. The findings have significant implications for how school psychologists may describe normal or typical performance in the future and now I may think twice before saying that most people fall into the Average range while I am in a meeting.
The conclusions also suggest just how special it is when you evaluate a student who performs in the “Superior” range or well above the expected level. That student could go on to be a future superstar in his or her industry of choice. School psychologists could play a more vital role in identifying strengths and talents that should be fostered in students.
