Description
Book SynopsisThis book is designed to assist students in statistics at all levels. Using a question and answer format, students are guided through the primary aspects of common statistics with emphasis on concepts, writing, and presentation. Instructors will find it a very useful companion to their primary statistics text book.
Trade ReviewThis delightful little book will serve as a powerful companion to anyone who wishes to utilize a multitude of statistical methods in the pursuit of structuring, organizing, describing and interpreting research questions and findings in a wide range of social scientific disciplines. Barry Trunk and Leslie Olsen brilliantly provide not only a clear introduction to the study of quantitative methods, but present a tool that can serve as a user-friendly, go-to manual that puts into everyday language the commonalities that tie together a number of specific approaches to data analysis. Not only does this book take the fear out of the study of statistics, it serves to link plain language to statistical procedures which will help the researcher describe in clear terms the meaning behind those procedures. After all, as social scientists, we are in the business of describing and explaining psychological constructs in clear language that advances (not obscures) an understanding of the world around us. This book will be one that the student will want to refer to over and over again as a reminder of how to stay on track in that pursuit. -- Brian Zax, PhD, Adjunct Faculty, Capella University
Professors Trunk and Olsen bring their own unique specializations to what for many students is a daunting task—understanding statistics! Trunk (the statistics specialist) and Olsen (the writing specialist) combine their talents and accomplish their goal of addressing the initial anxieties and fears that often accompany the first-time statistics student. They do so with a friendly, conversational style while still providing an in-depth, yet non-threatening approach to the material. As an introduction and overview to a statistics course, this text can be an invaluable tool. It is comprehensive without being overwhelming, and academically sound without being boring. This last feat requires talent, and Trunk and Olsen pull it off. -- William Cooney, PhD, Florida Gulf Coast University
It can be difficult for a professor teaching statistics to both 1) find ways to bring simplicity and clarity to teaching various statistical procedures that many students see as hopelessly confusing and complex, and 2) deal with the very real sense of anxiety that many students bring to a statistics class. Now you can let Barry Trunk and Leslie Olsen do a lot of the heavy lifting of calming student fears and bucking them up so that they can successfully learn and apply statistics. This wonderful supplemental text is written in a humorous, breezy, confident style which will de-escalate frantic students in statistics courses, answer their very real questions (which they may be too timid to ask), and help them understand the concepts that lurk behind the various statistical procedures you are teaching in the classroom. It also provides students with valuable tips for how to do well in statistics courses, how to handle statistics software, and the very important area of how to write up statistical analyses for their research. An enjoyable handy dandy guide that will be like a witty, reassuring friend to your statistics jittery students. -- Jack Hill, PhD, Chair, Psychology Department, Morningside College
Table of ContentsACKNOWLEDGEMENTS CHAPTER 1–OK . . . LET’S GET STARTED CHAPTER 2–QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS: BEFORE THE CLASS STARTS CHAPTER 3–SOME THINGS YOU REALLY NEED TO KNOW ABOUT STATISTICS! CHAPTER 4–IT’S NOT JUST WHAT YOU SAY, IT’S HOW YOU SAY IT CHAPTER 5–SOME COMMON ISSUES WITHIN THE FIELD OF STATISTICS CHAPTER 6–THE CHAPTER OF ANNOUNCEMENTS CHAPTER 7–ODDS AND ENDS CHAPTER 8–WRAPPING IT ALL UP APPENDIX A–A COMPLETE EXAMPLE OF THE ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE APPENDIX B–MULTIPLE REGRESSION FOR YOU AND ME APPENDIX C–HEY! LET’S LOOK AT MULTIVARIATE STATISTICS
