This textbook introduces the most commonly used techniques to organize data and perform basic statistical work. Salkind (human development, University of Kansas) covers computing measures of central tendency, distributions and curve plotting, graphing data, probability, statistical significance, correlation/regression, ANOVA, and multiple regression. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Written for people who want to learn or brush-up on the basics of statistics but question their abilities, this book offers a step-by-step introduction to the topic. The book begins with an introduction to the language of statistics and then covers descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. Throughout, the author offers readers:
- Difficulty Rating Index for each chapter's material
- Tips for doing and thinking about a statistical technique
- Top tens for everything from the best ways to create a graph to the most effective techniques for data collection
- Steps that break techniques down into a clear sequence of procedures
- SPSS tips for executing each major statistical technique
- Practice exercises at the end of each chapter, followed by worked out solutions.
The book concludes with a statistical software sampler and a description of the best Internet sites for statistical information and data resources. Readers also have access to a website for downloading data that they can use to practice additional exercises from the book. Students and researchers will appreciate the book's unhurried pace and thorough, friendly presentation.
