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This best-selling introduction to statistical analysis in the social sciences provides the right balance of conceptual understanding and step-by-step computational techniques. Every edition is thoroughly updated. Some exciting new features updated in this edition: bull; Problem sets have been revised and expanded, with many new problems from many fields of study: sociology, political science, psychology, economics, education, criminal justice, urban planning, health and medicine, etc. Examples have been updated throughout with the most recent data available from government and private sources. New boxed inserts, Practical and Statistical, give examples of how statistical measures are applied in everyday life.

Why the Social Researcher Uses Statistics
The Nature of Social Research
Why Test Hypotheses?
The Stages of Social Research
Using Series of Numbers to Do Social Research
Functions of Statistics
Looking at the Larger Picture: A Student Survey
I
Organizing the Data
Frequency Distributions of Nominal Data
Comparing Distributions
Proportions and Percentages
Ratios and Rates
Simple Frequency Distributions of Ordinal and Interval Data
Grouped Frequency Distributions of Interval Data
Cumulative Distributions
Percentile Ranks
Dealing with Decimal Data
Flexible Class Intervals
Cross-Tabulations
Graphic Presentations
Measures of Central Tendency
The Mode
The Median
The Mean
Taking One Step at a Time
Comparing the Mode, Median, and Mean
Obtaining the Mode, Median, and Mean from a Simple Frequency Distribution
Obtaining the Mode, Median, and Mean from a Grouped Frequency Distribution
Step-by-Step Study Guide: Mode, Median, and Mean for Raw Scores
Measures of Variability
The Range
The Mean Deviation
The Variance and Standard Deviation
The Raw-Score Formula for Variance and Standard Deviation
The Meaning of the Standard Deviation
Comparing Measures of Variability
Obtaining the Variance and Standard Deviation from a Simple Frequency Distribution
Obtaining the Variance and Standard Deviation from a Grouped Frequency Distribution
Step-by-Step Study Guide: Variance and Standard Deviation for Raw Scores
Looking at the Larger Picture: Describing Data
From Description To Decision Making
Probability and the Normal Curve
Rules of Probability
Probability Distributions
The Normal Curve as a Probability Distribution
Characteristics of the Normal Curve
The Model and the Reality of the Normal Curve
The Area Under the Normal Curve
Standard Scores and the Normal Curve
Finding Probability Under the Normal Curve
Obtaining Percentile Ranks from the Normal Curve
Step-by-Step Study Guide: Probability Under the Normal Curve
Step-by-Step Study Guide: Percentile Ranks from the Normal Curve
Samples and Populations
Sampling Methods
Sampling Error
Sampling Distribution of Means
Standard Error of the Mean
Confidence Intervals
The t Distribution
Estimating Proportions
Step-by-Step Study Guide: Confidence Interval for the Mean Using z
Step-by-Step Study Guide: Confidence Interval for the Mean Using t
Step-by-Step Study Guide: Confidence Interval for the Proportion
Looking at the Larger Picture: Generalizing from Samples to Populations
III
Testing Differences Between Means
The Null Hypothesis: No Difference Between Means
The Research Hypothesis: A Difference Between Means
Sampling Distribution of Differences Between Means
Testing Hypotheses with the Distribution of Differences Between Means
Levels of Significance
Standard Error of the Difference Between Means
Testing the Difference Between Means
Comparing the Same Sample Measured Twice
Two Sample Tests of Proportions
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Elementary Statistics In Social Research

0205459587

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