Statistics in Plain English

Statistics: A First Course is a straightforward, conversational introduction to statistics that delivers exactly what its title promises. It provides a detailed step-by-step explanation of how statistics work and what information they provide, with examples from real-world research. The new edition includes a chapter on person-centered analyses, enhanced descriptions of non-parametric statistics, and more information about the assumptions of various statistics. It works as a standalone or supplement and covers a range of statistical concepts from descriptive statistics to factor analysis and person-centered analyses.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 304 pages
Publication date: 29 March 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

It is a comprehensive and user-friendly introduction to statistics that lives up to its title by delivering exactly what it promises. The book is organized into 15 chapters, each beginning with a brief overview of a statistic that explains its purpose and appropriate usage. Following this, a detailed step-by-step explanation of how the statistic works and the information it provides is given. Each chapter also includes an example of the statistic (or statistics) in real-world research, worked examples, writing it up sections that demonstrate how to write about each statistic, wrapping up and looking forward sections, and practice work problems.

A new chapter on person-centered analyses, including cluster analysis and latent class analysis (LCA), has been added (Chapter 16). Person-centered analysis is an important alternative to the more commonly used variable-centered analyses (e.g., t tests, ANOVA, regression) and is gaining popularity in social-science research. The chapter on non-parametric statistics (Chapter 14) was enhanced significantly with in-depth descriptions of Mann-Whitney U, Kruskall-Wallace, and Wilcoxon Signed-Rank analyses. These non-parametric statistics are important alternatives to statistics that rely on normally distributed data.

This new edition also includes more information about the assumptions of various statistics, including a detailed explanation of the assumptions and consequences of violating the assumptions of regression (Chapter 13). There is more information provided about the importance of the normal distribution in statistics (Chapters 4 and 7). Each of the last nine chapters includes an example from the real world of research that employs the statistic, or statistics, covered in the chapter.

Altogether, these improvements provide a valuable resource for anyone seeking to learn statistics, whether for personal or professional purposes. The book is written in a clear and concise manner, making it accessible to students of all levels, and the examples and exercises are designed to help reinforce the concepts presented. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in gaining a deeper understanding of statistics and its applications.

Weight: 862g
Dimension: 211 x 279 x 22 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367342838
Edition number: 5 ed