Contributors thoroughly survey the most important statistical models used in empirical reserch in the social and behavioral sciences. Following a common format, each chapter introduces a model, illustrates the types of problems and data for which the model is best used, provides numerous examples that draw upon familiar models or procedures, and includes material on software that can be used to estimate the models studied. This handbook will aid researchers, methodologists, graduate students, and statisticians to understand and resolve common modeling problems.

Statistical methods in modern research increasingly entail developing, estimating and testing models for data. Rather than rigid methods of data analysis, the need today is for more flexible methods for modelling data. In this logical, easy-to-follow and exceptionally clear book, David Flora provides a comprehensive survey of the major statistical procedures currently used. His innovative model-based approach teaches you how to: Understand and choose the right statistical model to fit your data Match substantive theory and statistical models Apply statistical procedures hands-on, with example data analyses Develop and use graphs to understand data and fit models to data Work with statistical modeling principles using any software package Learn by applying, with input and output files for R, SAS, SPSS, and Mplus. Statistical Methods for the Social and Behavioural Sciences: A Model Based Approach is the essential guide for those looking to extend their understanding of the principles of statistics, and begin using the right statistical modeling method for their own data. It is particularly suited to second or advanced courses in statistical methods across the social and behavioural sciences.

Contributors thoroughly survey the most important statistical models used in empirical reserch in the social and behavioral sciences. Following a common format, each chapter introduces a model, illustrates the types of problems and data for which the model is best used, provides numerous examples that draw upon familiar models or procedures, and includes material on software that can be used to estimate the models studied. This handbook will aid researchers, methodologists, graduate students, and statisticians to understand and resolve common modeling problems.

Multiple regression analysis has been widely used by researchers to analyze complex social problems since the 1950s. A specialization in economics, known as econometrics, developed out of a recognition that multiple regression is based upon a large number of assumptions—many of which are commonly violated in specific applications. Econometricians developed tests for violations of the regression model assumptions, as well as a variety of corrective measures for estimating regression models in the presence of many of the violations. Unfortunately, the mathematical sophistication required to understand the econometrics literature started out high and has continued to rise over the years. As a consequence, an understanding of the assumptions of the regression model, tests for violations, and corrective estimation approaches have failed to permeate widely many other policy-related disciplines such as political science, social work, public administration, and sociology. One of the key objectives of this book is to translate the results from the econometrics literature into language that policy analysts from other disciplines can understand easily. A second objective is to present a discussion of so-called limited-dependent variable models. One of the assumptions of the regression model is that the dependent variable is measured on an interval scale. But often the dependent variable of interest is discrete or categorical. Whether someone is in poverty or, whether they are working full-time, part-time, or out of the labor force, marital status—all are examples of categorical variables that might be of policy interest. Moreover, the growing availability of large-scale public use data sets containing information on individuals and families has heightened the relevance of categorical variables in policy analysis. The mathematical preparation required to understand procedures for estimating categorical models is, however, even more daunting than that for fully understanding and using the regression model. As with the theoretical development of the regression model, most presentations of categorical models, such as Logit and Probit, are to be found in econometric literature. Moreover, this literature offers little in the way of practical advice on how to estimate and interpret model results. This book is the first to present a detailed and accessible discussion of multiple regression and limited-dependent variable models in the context of policy analysis. As such it will be an invaluable resource for most scholars, researchers, and students in the social and behavioral sciences.

Master the essential statistical skills used in social andbehavioral sciences Essentials of Statistics for the Social and Behavioral Sciencesdistills the overwhelming amount of material covered inintroductory statistics courses into a handy, practical resourcefor students and professionals. This accessible guide covers basicto advanced concepts in a clear, concrete, and readablestyle. Essentials of Statistics for the Social and Behavioral Sciencesguides you to a better understanding of basic concepts ofstatistical methods. Numerous practical tips are presented forselecting appropriate statistical procedures. In addition, thisuseful guide demonstrates how to evaluate and interpret statisticaldata, provides numerous formulas for calculating statistics fromtables of summary statistics, and offers a variety of workedexamples. As part of the Essentials of Behavioral Science series, this bookoffers a thorough review of the most relevant statistical conceptsand techniques that will arm you with the tools you'll need forknowledgeable, informed practice. Each concise chapter featuresnumerous callout boxes highlighting key concepts, bulleted points,and extensive illustrative material, as well as "Test Yourself"questions that help you gauge and reinforce your grasp of theinformation covered.

This is the first book to demonstrate the application of power analysis to the newer more advanced statistical techniques that are increasingly used in the social and behavioral sciences. Both basic and advanced designs are covered. Readers are shown how to apply power analysis to techniques such as hierarchical linear modeling, meta-analysis, and structural equation modeling. Each chapter opens with a review of the statistical procedure and then proceeds to derive the power functions. This is followed by examples that demonstrate how to produce power tables and charts. The book clearly shows how to calculate power by providing open code for every design and procedure in R, SAS, and SPSS. Readers can verify the power computation using the computer programs on the book's website. There is a growing requirement to include power analysis to justify sample sizes in grant proposals. Most chapters are self-standing and can be read in any order without much disruption.This book will help readers do just that. Sample computer code in R, SPSS, and SAS at www.routledge.com/9781848729810 are written to tabulate power values and produce power curves that can be included in a grant proposal. Organized according to various techniques, chapters 1 – 3 introduce the basics of statistical power and sample size issues including the historical origin, hypothesis testing, and the use of statistical power in t tests and confidence intervals. Chapters 4 - 6 cover common statistical procedures -- analysis of variance, linear regression (both simple regression and multiple regression), correlation, analysis of covariance, and multivariate analysis. Chapters 7 - 11 review the new statistical procedures -- multi-level models, meta-analysis, structural equation models, and longitudinal studies. The appendixes contain a tutorial about R and show the statistical theory of power analysis. Intended as a supplement for graduate courses on quantitative methods, multivariate statistics, hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) and/or multilevel modeling and SEM taught in psychology, education, human development, nursing, and social and life sciences, this is the first text on statistical power for advanced procedures. Researchers and practitioners in these fields also appreciate the book‘s unique coverage of the use of statistical power analysis to determine sample size in planning a study. A prerequisite of basic through multivariate statistics is assumed.

The Handbook of Computational Social Science is a comprehensive reference source for scholars across multiple disciplines. It outlines key debates in the field, showcasing novel statistical modeling and machine learning methods, and draws from specific case studies to demonstrate the opportunities and challenges in CSS approaches. The Handbook is divided into two volumes written by outstanding, internationally renowned scholars in the field. The first volume focuses on the scope of computational social science, ethics, and case studies. It covers a range of key issues, including open science, formal modeling, and the social and behavioral sciences. This volume explores major debates, introduces digital trace data, reviews the changing survey landscape, and presents novel examples of computational social science research on sensing social interaction, social robots, bots, sentiment, manipulation, and extremism in social media. The volume not only makes major contributions to the consolidation of this growing research field, but also encourages growth into new directions. The second volume focuses on foundations and advances in data science, statistical modeling, and machine learning. It covers a range of key issues, including the management of big data in terms of record linkage, streaming, and missing data. Machine learning, agent-based and statistical modeling, as well as data quality in relation to digital-trace and textual data, as well as probability-, non-probability-, and crowdsourced samples represent further foci. The volume not only makes major contributions to the consolidation of this growing research field, but also encourages growth into new directions. With its broad coverage of perspectives (theoretical, methodological, computational), international scope, and interdisciplinary approach, this important resource is integral reading for advanced undergraduates, postgraduates and researchers engaging with computational methods across the social sciences, as well as those within the scientific and engineering sectors.