Mind On Statistics

by Utts, Jessica M.; Heckard, Robert F.

• ISBN13: 9780538733489
• ISBN10: 0538733489
• Edition: 4th
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2011-01-07
• Publisher: Duxbury Press

Summary

MIND ON STATISTICS helps you develop a conceptual understanding of statistical ideas and shows you how to find meaning in data. The authors--who are committed to changing any preconception you may have about statistics being boring--engage your curiosity with intriguing questions, and explain statistical topics in the context of interesting, useful examples and case studies. You'll develop your statistical intuition by focusing on analyzing data and interpreting results, rather than on mathematical formulation. As a result, you'll build both your statistical literacy and your understanding of statistical methodology.

Table of Contents

Statistics Success Stories And Cautionary Tales

What Is Statistics?

Eight Statistical Stories with Morals

The Common Elements in the Eight Stories

Turning Data Into Information

Raw Data

Types of Variables

Summarizing One or Two Categorical Variables

Exploring Features of Quantitative Data with Pictures

Numerical Summaries of Quantitative Variables

How to Handle Outliers

Bell-Shaped Distributions and Standard Deviations

Skillbuilder Applet: The Empirical Rule in Action

Relationships Between Quantitative Variables

Looking for Patterns with Scatterplots

Describing Linear Patterns with a Regression Line

Measuring Strength and Direction with Correlation

Regression and Correlation Difficulties and Disasters

Correlation Does Not Prove Causation

Skillbuilder Applet: Exploring Correlation

Relationships Between Categorical Variables

Displaying Relationships Between Categorical Variables

Risk, Relative Risk, and Misleading Statistics About Risk

The Effect of a Third Variable and Simpson's Paradox

Assessing the Statistical Significance of a 2 x 2 Table

Sampling: Surveys And How To Ask Questions

Collecting and Using Sample Data Wisely

Margin of Error, Confidence Intervals, and Sample Size

Choosing a Simple Random Sample

Other Sampling Methods

Difficulties and Disasters in Sampling

How to Ask Survey Questions

Skillbuilder Applet: Random Sampling in Action

Gathering Useful Data For Examining Relationships

Speaking the Language of Research Studies

Designing a Good Experiment

Designing a Good Observational Study

Difficulties and Disasters in Experiments and Observational Studies

Probability

Random Circumstances

Interpretations of Probability

Probability Definitions and Relationships

Basic Rules for Finding Probabilities

Finding Complicated Probabilities

Using Simulation to Estimate Probabilities

Flawed Intuitive Judgments About Probability

Random Variables

What Is a Random Variable?

Discrete Random Variables

Expectations for Random Variables

Binomial Random Variables

Continuous Random Variables

Normal Random Variables

Approximating Binomial Distribution Probabilities

Sums, Differences, and Combinations of Random Variables

Understanding Sampling Distributions: Statistics As Random Variables

Parameters, Statistics, and Statistical Inference

From Curiosity to Questions About Parameters

An Overview of Sampling Distributions

Sampling Distribution for One Sample Proportion

Sampling Distribution for the Difference in Two Sample Proportions

Sampling Distribution for One Sample Mean

Sampling Distribution for the Sample Mean of Paired Differences

Sampling Distribution for the Difference in Two Sample Means

Preparing for Statistical Inference: Standardized Statistics

Generalizations Beyond the Big Five

Skillbuilder Applet: Finding the Pattern in Sample Means

Estimating Proportions With Confidence

An Overview of Confidence Intervals

Confidence Interval for a Population Proportion

Confidence Intervals for the Difference in Two Population Proportions

Using Confidence Intervals to Guide Decisions

Estimating Means With Confidence

Introduction to Confidence Intervals for Means

Confidence Interval for One Population Mean

Confidence Interval for the Population Mean of Paired Differences

Confidence Interval for the Difference in Two Population Means (Independent Samples)

Understanding Any Confidence Interval

Skillbuilder Applet: The Confidence Level in Action

Testing Hypotheses About Proportions

An Overview of Hypothesis Testing

Testing Hypotheses About a Population Proportion

Testing Hypotheses About the Difference in Two Population Proportions

Sample Size, Statistical Significance, and Practical Importance

Testing Hypotheses About Means

Introduction to Hypothesis Tests for Means

Testing Hypotheses about One Population Mean

Testing Hypotheses about the Population Mean of Paired Differences

Testing Hypotheses about the Difference in Two Population Means (Independent Samples)

The Relationship Between Significance Tests and Confidence Intervals

Choosing an Appropriate Inference Procedure

Effect Size

Evaluating Significance in Research Reports

Inference About Simple Regression

Sample and Population Regression Models

Estimating the Standard Deviation for Regression

Inference About the Slope of a Linear Regression

Predicting y and Estimating Mean y at a Specific x

Checking Conditions for Using Regression Models for Inference

More About Inference For Categorical Variables

The Chi-Square Test for Two-Way Tables

Analyzing 2 x 2 Tables

Testing Hypotheses About One Categorical Variable: Goodness-of-Fit

Analysis Of Variance

Comparing Means with an ANOVA F-TeSt. Details of One-Way Analysis of Variance

Other Methods for Comparing Populations

Two-Way Analysis of Variance

Turning Information Into Wisdom

Beyond the Data

Transforming Uncertainty Into Wisdom

Making Personal Decisions

Control of Societal Risks

Understanding Our World

Getting to Know You

Words to the Wise

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