Using Basic Statistics in the Behavioral and Social Sciences

Reviews / Votes

"One of the best organized statistics texts I've seen. Specifically, the organization fits conceptually in an innovative way." -- Michael Latner "The author is obviously an expert in statistics and an experienced teacher. The material was presented in a way that is easily understood with examples, charts, and figures, etc. The information is accurate and reflects the current thinking of the field." -- Yating Liang "It is good that this book deals with topics such as multiple comparisons that many people would consider too advanced for an introductory statistics course but which are ubiquitous in the literature. This book does a great job of preparing students with what they will need to understand many research articles in health care." -- Elizabeth Vanner "The accessibility in language use and clear examples from multiple social science disciplines make this book usable in a wide range of courses (including interdisciplinary programs, like the division for social, behavioral, and global studies on our campus)." -- Mrinal Sinha "...[T]he explanation is clear and appropriate for social science researchers. It is the strength of this textbook to add some statistical concepts behind each topic, particularly the calculation process to explain the concepts behind. The summary formula section at the end of each chapter is particularly helpful for both instructors and students to get an overall picture of the major theory behind each chapter. The textbook really does a nice job in explaining the "why" aspect than most of the current textbooks in the market." -- Xin Liang "Extremely well organized. Builds on previous learned concepts. I appreciated the short referrals back to a previous chapter or a future chapter." -- Laree J. Schoolmeesters "I liked the casual tone of the author and the thoroughness of the material, especially in the probability chapter. I also especially liked the explanation of the absolute zero point (a concept that students routinely struggle with). Also, I found the 'Alerts' and 'FYIs' helpful." -- Christine MacDonald "[The text] leads students to derive the important formulas so that they will know what the concepts represent and where they come from. The real world examples from published research provide important motivation for students to understand how and why we use these techniques." -- Howard Lune "I think this book does a great job of being accessible and easy to read. I also like all the examples and practice problems, as well as the sections highlighting when to use each statistical analysis. I also think the examples do a great job of breaking down the equations into steps and parts, because students often get intimidated when they see these equations that include numbers and symbols that make zero sense. In addition, the figures and charts make the written content easier to understand, which is critical in these types of texts..." -- Dr. Jennifer Marmo "...[T]his textbook has several key strengths. First, the inclusion of the 'Focus on Research' sections at the end of each chapter provides students with a practical exposure to statistical concepts and analyses. These practical applications can sometimes be lost in introductory statistics courses that focus heavily on the how-to aspects of statistical analyses. Indeed, rather than simply provide students with unspecified datasets, the author provides background information providing context to problems that students are working through. The author also does an excellent job of summarizing key information at the end of each chapter. Particularly in chapters in which multiple statistical methods are presented (e.g., Chapter 10), this is particularly useful in helping students organize the information. This information, compiled in Appendix A, is the perfect study guide for students. Additionally, the style of this textbook is very conducive to helping students work through the various statistical methods. In particular, the author does an excellent job of working through step-by-step examples that students can follow when working through problems on their own. Furthermore, the author does a good job of explaining difficult concepts. For example, the explanation of the sampling distribution and the logic of hypothesis testing, typically difficult concepts for introductory students, was clearly written in an easy-to-follow manner. In general, the whole book follows this unintimidating style." -- Maxwell I. Moholy "Great writing, easy for students to understand, great visual aids in the text, very thorough, current." -- Amanda O'Dell "The clear and concise style of presentation represents a clear strength for this text. Further, the author uses excellent examples throughout the text to illustrate key concepts and analytic approaches. The homework problems are also appropriate and helpful." -- Arin M. Connell "I like that the review question answers are provided in detail on a different page than the question. In the inferential section, the summary box is very helpful. Similarly, the outline of steps in inferential chapters [is] very clear and helpful. Realistic practice examples with the steps articulated. I like the outline type of recap after each chapter and the alerts-they address many of the questions I have heard in class..." -- Zandra S. Gratz