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Using Basic Statistics in the Behavioral and Social Sciences
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Using Basic Statistics in the Behavioral and Social Sciences

Fifth Edition

A practical, conceptual, student-friendly introduction to introductory statistics



June 2013 | 624 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc
In this fully updated edition of Using Basic Statistics in the Behavioral and Social Sciences, Annabel Ness Evans presents introductory statistics in a practical, conceptual, and humorous way, reducing the anxiety that many students experience in introductory courses. Avoiding complex notation and derivations, the book focuses on helping readers develop an understanding of the underlying logic of statistics, rather than rote memorization. Focus on Research boxes engage students with realistic applications of statistics, and end-of-chapter exercises ensure student comprehension. This exciting new edition includes a greater number of realistic and engaging global examples within the social and behavioral sciences, making it ideal for use within many departments or in interdisciplinary settings.

 
Chapter 1. Introduction to Statistical Concepts
 
Chapter 2. Organizing and Presenting Data
 
Chapter 3. Describing the Central Tendency of Distributions
 
Chapter 4. Describing the Variability of Distributions
 
Chapter 5. Describing the Position of Scores in Distributions
 
Chapter 6. Introduction to Inference: The Normal Curve
 
Chapter 7. Introduction to Inference: Probability
 
Chapter 8. Introduction to Inference: The Random Sampling Distribution
 
Chapter 9. Inference with the Normal Curve
 
Chapter 10. Inference with the t Distribution
 
Chapter 11. Inference with the F Distribution
 
Chapter 12. Analysis of Variance with Repeated Measures
 
Chapter 13. Multiple Comparison Procedures
 
Chapter 14. Inference with the Chi-Square Distribution
 
Chapter 15. Additional Non-Parametric Techniques
 
Chapter 16. Correlational Techniques
 
Chapter 17. Predictive Techniques
 
Chapter 18. Choosing the Appropriate Test of Significance

Supplements

Electronic Test Bank
A Respondus test bank is available for this text.
Instructor Teaching Site
The instructor teaching site features:

- Instructor's Manual
- PowerPoints
- Test Bank
- Sample Syllabus

“One of the best organized statistics texts I’ve seen.  Specifically, the organization fits conceptually in an innovative way.”

Michael Latner
California Polytechnic State University, SLO

“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
Missouri State University

“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
Stony Brook University

“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
California State University, Monterey Bay

“…[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
University of Akron

“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
Queens University of Charlotte

“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
Indiana State University

“[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
Hunter College, CUNY

“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
Arizona State University

“…[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
Idaho State University
Key features

New to this Edition

  • Focus on Research boxes offer updated examples based on current research and tied more specifically to chapter concepts, which allow to engage students with realistic applications of statistics
  • New real-world global examples drawn from the social and behavioral sciences show students how statistics is applied in a variety of settings.
  • Excel output examples for select procedures clearly demonstrate how to work with data in an Excel format.
  • An Instructor’s Resource Manual, including chapter outlines, exercises with solutions, and PowerPoint slides, makes teaching easier.
  • A new Test Item File includes multiple-choice, short answer, true-false, and discussion questions designed to help your students master the content.

Key Features

  • Real-world examples bring concepts to life and appeal to students’ interests in a relevant and compelling way.
  • End-of-chapter exercises, graded for difficulty, help students to master skills and concepts.
  • Figures, tables, and boxes throughout the text enrich the learning experience.
  • American Psychological Association citation style is introduced and used throughout, familiarizing students with this important and often required resource.
  • Student learning tools in every chapter include Learning Objectives, glossary terms in bold, text boxes that highlight specific areas (such as Concept Review, Alert, and FYI), Summary of Terms and Formulas, and Concept Review Answers.
  • Valuable appendices at the end of the book include Toolboxes and Statistical Tables.

 

What’s New about the Fifth Edition

As always, I considered all the reviewer suggestions when I revised this book. The reviewers of the fourth edition were consistently positive and asked for very few substantive changes. Some things were clarified, some content was added, but very little content was removed. In the fifth edition, I have included more global examples and references than in previous editions.

New Focus on Research Examples: The older Focus on Research sections have been replaced with current research examples and tied more specifically to the chapter concepts.

Inclusion of Excel Output: When appropriate, I have included examples of what the output from Excel looks like for various procedures.

Supplemental Material: There are three supplements, provided free to adopters, that accompany this new edition: the Instructor’s Resource Manual with Exercises, the Test Item File, and PowerPoint Slides. All supplements are available online and can be accessed through a password-protected section of  www.sagepub.com/evansstats5e. See your local sales representative for details and access.
•       Instructor’s Resource Manual with Exercises: This supplement contains Chapter Outlines and Exercises with Solutions.
•       Test Item File: This supplement includes an extensive test bank containing Multiple Choice, Short Answer, True-False, and Discussion questions.
•       PowerPoint Slides: PowerPoint slides outline concepts in each chapter and include a selection of figures and tables from the textbook.

I think that the fifth edition of Using Basic Statistics in the Behavioral and Social Sciences is the best one yet, and I hope you will agree. To those of you who have been loyal users of previous editions, thank you so very much for your support over the years.

For instructors

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