Using and Interpreting Statistics in the Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences is designed to be paired with any undergraduate introduction to research methods text used by students in a variety of disciplines. It introduces students to statistics at the conceptual level—examining the meaning of statistics, and why researchers use a particular statistical technique, rather than computational skills. Focusing on descriptive statistics, and some more advanced topics such as tests of significance, measures of association, and regression analysis, this brief, inexpensive text is the perfect companion to help students who have not yet taken an introductory statistics course or are confused by the statistics used in the articles they are reading.

Eric Corty’s engaging textbook is exceptionally well suited for behavioral science students studying statistical practice in their field for the first time. An award-winning master teacher, Corty speaks to students in their language, with an approachable voice that conveys the basics of collecting and understanding statistical data step by step. Examples come from the behavioral and social sciences, as well as from recognizable aspects of everyday life to help students see the relevance of what they are studying.

KEY FEATURES: Focuses on the meaning of statistics and why researchers choose particular techniques, rather than computational skills. Coverage ranges from basic descriptive statistics to more advanced topics such as tests of significance, measures of association, and regression analysis. An opening chapter provides a brief overview of the research process in social, behavioral, and health sciences.

This practical, conceptual introduction to statistical analysis by award-winning teacher Andrew N. Christopher uses published research with inherently interesting social sciences content to help students make clear connections between statistics and real life. Using a friendly, easy-to-understand presentation, Christopher walks students through the hand calculations of key statistical tools and provides step-by-step instructions on how to run the appropriate analyses for each type of statistic in SPSS and how to interpret the output. With the premise that a conceptual grasp of statistical techniques is critical for students to truly understand why they are doing what they are doing, the author avoids overly formulaic jargon and instead focuses on when and how to use statistical techniques appropriately.

Interpreting Basic Statistics gives students valuable practice in interpreting statistical reporting as it actually appears in peer-reviewed journals. New to the eighth edition: A broader array of basic statistical concepts is covered, especially to better reflect the New Statistics. Journal excerpts have been updated to reflect current styles in statistical reporting. A stronger emphasis on data visualizations has been added. The statistical exercises have been re-organized into units to facilitate ease of use and understanding. About this book Each of the 64 exercises gives a brief excerpt of statistical reporting from a published research article, and begins with guidelines for interpreting the statistics in the excerpt. The questions on the excerpts promote learning by requiring students to interpret information in tables and figures, perform simple calculations to further their interpretations, critique data-reporting techniques, and evaluate procedures used to collect data. Each exercise covers a limited number of statistics, making it easy to coordinate the exercises with lectures and a main textbook. The questions in each exercise are divided into two parts: (1) Factual Questions and (2) Questions for Discussion. The factual questions require careful reading for details, while the discussion questions show that interpreting statistics is more than a mathematical exercise. These questions require students to apply good judgment as well as statistical reasoning in arriving at appropriate interpretations.

Nolan and Heinzen’s engaging introduction to statistics has captivated students with its easy readability and vivid examples drawn from everyday life. The mathematics of statistical reasoning are made accessible with careful explanations and a helpful three-tier approach to working through exercises: Clarifying the Concepts, Calculating the Statistics, and Applying the Concepts. New pedagogy, end-of-chapter material, and the groundbreaking learning space StatsPortal give students even more tools to help them master statistics than ever before.