Essential Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences

This text uses the same conceptual, intuitive approach of Basic Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences, but eliminates extensive reference material and advanced or obscure statistical methods. Essentials presents only the procedures undergraduates need for reading research literature and conducting their own studies. New terms are integrated with more difficult concepts in an accessible, non-threatening format that provides concise explanations, creating a foundation and making further elaboration easier to understand.

Table of Contents:
Note: Each chapter begins with Chapter Essentials and concludes with a Chapter Summary, Key Terms, Review Questions, and Application Questions. Chapters 2-11 and 13 include a Summary of Formulas. 1. Introduction to Statistics and Research Why Is It Important to Learn About Statistics? (And How Do You Do That?) The Logic of Research Applying Descriptive and Inferential Statistics Understanding Experiments and Correlational Studies The Characteristics of Scores 2. Creating and Using Frequency Distributions Some New Symbols and Terminology Understanding Frequency Distributions Types of Frequency Distributions Relative Frequency and the Normal Curve Understanding Percentile 3. Summarizing Scores with Measures of Central Tendency Some New Symbols and Terminology What Is Central Tendency? Applying the Mean to Research 4. Summarizing Scores with Measures of Variability Understanding Variability The Range The Variance and Standard Deviation Computing the Sample Variance and Sample Standard Deviation The Population Variance and the Population Standard Deviation Summary of the Variance and Standard Deviation Statistics in the Research Literature: Reporting Means and Variability 5. Describing Data with z-Scores and the Normal Curve Understanding z-Scores Using z-Scores to Describe Raw Scores Using z-Scores to Describe Sample Means 6. Using Probability to Make Decisions About Data Understanding Probability Probability Distributions Obtaining Probability from the Standard Normal Curve Random Sampling and Sampling Error Deciding Whether a Sample Represents a Population Other Ways to Set Up the Sampling Distribution 7. Overview of Statistical Hypothesis Testing: The z-Test The Role of Inferential Statistics in Research Setting Up Inferential Procedures Performing the z-Test Interpreting Significant Results Interpreting Nonsignificant Results Summary of the z-Test Statistics in the Research Literature: Reporting z The One-Tailed Test Errors in Statistical Decision Making 8. Hypothesis Testing Using the One-Sample t-Test Understanding the One-Sample t-Test Performing the One-Sample t-Test Interpreting the t-Test Summary of the One-Sample t-Test Estimating by Computing a Confidence Interval Statistics in the Research Literature: Reporting t 9. Hypothesis Testing Using the Two-Sample t-Test Understanding the Two-Sample Experiment The Independent-Samples t-Test Summary of the Independent-Samples t-Test The Related-Samples t-Test Summary of the Related -Samples t-Test Statistics in the Research Literature: Reporting a Two-Sample Study A Word About Effect Size: The Proportion of Variance Accounted For 10. Describing Relationships Using Correlation and Regression Understanding Correlations The Pearson Correlation Coefficient. Statistics in the Research Literature: Reporting r A Word About Linear Regression A Word About the Proportion of Variance Accounted for: r2 11. Hypothesis Testing Using the One-Way Analysis of Variance An Overview of the Analysis of Variance Components of the ANOVA Performing the ANOVA Tukey Post Hoc Comparisons Summary of the One-Way ANOVA Statistics in the Research Literature: Reporting ANOVA A Word About Effect Size and Eta2 12. A Brief Introduction to the Logic of the Two-Way Analysis of Variance Understanding the Two-Way ANOVA Interpreting the Two-Way Experiment 13. Chi Square and Nonparametric Procedures Parametric versus Nonparametric Statistics Chi Square Procedures One-Way Chi Square: The Goodness of Fit Test The Two-Way Chi Square: The Test of Independence Statistics in the Research Literature: Reporting X2 A Word About Nonparametric Procedures for Ordinal Scores Appendices A. Additional Statistical Formulas B. Statistical Tables C. Answers to Odd-Numbered Questions