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Updated example of using baby names to illustrate bimodal distributions.

The thing about my way of teaching stats is that my cool, novel examples get old really fast. Like, pop culture is on a thirty-day cycle. Anyway, YEARS ago, 2014 to be exact, I blogged about illustrating bimodal data distributions  using baby name data from the Social Security Administration. Specifically, when an older name comes back into vogue, it has a bimodal distribution when you plot time on the X axis.  I stand by this example. However, all of the data illustrations come from 2014. When our traditionally aged college students were 6 or 7. Which makes this example feel a little stale. However, here is some data,  courtesy of Redditor  fevaah ,  showing  old names that are back in vogue through 2025 ! And Eleanor, Violet, Nora, and Hazel are here, illustrating bimodal distributions for a new generation. If you used my old baby-name data, this is a quick, easy refresh for your lectures (or a fun new addition if you didn't).  If this idea was help...

Psychological Statistics for Everyone


If you love my blog, you'll love my textbook. After years of blogging and teaching statistics, I decided to work with W.W. Norton & Co. to turn my blog into a textbook. 

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Norton really helped me keep my voice and share my approach. Norton also provides every student with a beautiful e-text and every professor with extensive homework and exam questions, as well as technical support.

Click here to snag an exam copy and learn more about how I approach Psychological Statistics.



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