Statistics for the Terrified

by Kranzler, Gerald; Moursund, Janet; Kranzler, John H.

• ISBN13: 9780130983404
• ISBN10: 0130983403
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-01-01
• Publisher: Pearson College Div

Summary

Statistics for the Terrified, 3/E, is a user-friendly introduction to elementary statistics, intended primarily for the reluctant, math anxious/avoidant person. Written in a personal and informal style, with healthy doses of humor and encouragement, the aim of the book is to help readers make the leap from apprehension to comprehension of elementary statistics.The book presents state-of-the-art, empirically supported self-help strategies (based on the cognitive behavioral techniques of rational emotive therapy) that help readers manage their math anxiety so they can relax and build confidence while still learning statistics.For those who need to learn statistics to further their career.

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
SECTION I Essentials for Statistics	1	(32)
Effective Strategies for Studying Statistics	3	(5)
Self-assessment	4	(1)
Assumptions about the Reader	4	(1)
Effective Strategies for Studying Statistics	5	(3)
Overcoming Math Anxiety	8	(9)
What Causes Math Anxiety?	9	(1)
Overview of Rational Emotive Therapy	9	(1)
Irrational Beliefs	10	(2)
Self-Talk	12	(1)
How to Deal with Math Anxiety	13	(4)
Basic Math Review	17	(16)
Basic Math Rules	19	(1)
Positive and Negative Numbers	19	(2)
Fractions	21	(2)
Decimals and Percents	23	(1)
Exponents and Roots	24	(1)
Order of Computation	25	(1)
Summation	26	(3)
Problems	29	(1)
Answers to Problems	30	(3)
SECTION II Describing Univariate Data	33	(58)
Frequency Distributions	35	(14)
What Are Statistics?	35	(1)
Variables	36	(1)
Scales of Measurement	37	(1)
Frequency Distributions	38	(4)
Graphing Data	42	(2)
The Normal Curve	44	(2)
Problems	46	(2)
Answers to Problems	48	(1)
Descriptive Statistics	49	(17)
Measures of Central Tendency	50	(2)
Selecting a Measure of Central Tendency	52	(3)
Measures of Variability	55	(8)
Problems	63	(1)
Answers to Problems	64	(2)
The Normal Curve	66	(6)
What Is the Normal Curve?	66	(4)
Problems	70	(1)
Answers to Problems	71	(1)
Percentiles and Standard Scores	72	(19)
Percentiles	74	(1)
Standard Scores	74	(3)
Other Standard Scores	77	(3)
Converting Standard Scores to Percentiles	80	(7)
A Word of Warning	87	(1)
Problems	87	(1)
Answers to Problems	88	(3)
SECTION III Correlation and Regression	91	(22)
Correlation Coefficients	93	(11)
Correlation Coefficients	94	(1)
Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient	95	(4)
Interpreting Correlation Coefficients	99	(2)
Other Methods of Correlation	101	(1)
Spearman Rank Correlation Coefficient	101	(1)
Problems	102	(1)
Answers to Problems	103	(1)
Linear Regression	104	(9)
Regression Equations	104	(3)
Standard Error of the Estimate	107	(3)
Problems	110	(1)
Answers to Problems	111	(2)
SECTION IV Inferential Statistics	113	(80)
Introduction to Inferential Statistics	115	(15)
Probability	116	(2)
The Sampling Experiment	118	(2)
Sample Values (Statistics) and Population Values (Parameters)	120	(3)
The Null Hypothesis	123	(2)
Type I and Type II Errors	125	(1)
Statistical Significance and Type I Error	126	(1)
Problems	127	(1)
Answers to Problems	128	(2)
The t Test	130	(15)
The t Test for Independent Samples	131	(1)
Formulas for the t Test for Independent Samples	132	(2)
The Critical Value of t	134	(3)
Requirements for Using the t Test for Independent Samples	137	(1)
The t Test for Dependent (Matched) Samples	137	(4)
Directional versus Nondirectional Tests	141	(1)
Problems	142	(2)
Answers to Problems	144	(1)
Analysts of Variance (ANOVA)	145	(15)
Computation Steps	151	(3)
Strength of Association	154	(1)
Post hoc Analyses	154	(1)
The Scheffe Method of Post hoc Analysis	155	(2)
Problems	157	(1)
Answers to Problems	158	(2)
Nonparametric Statistics: Chi-square	160	(6)
One-Way Test of Chi-square	161	(2)
Yates's Correction for Continuity	163	(1)
A Bit More	164	(1)
Problems	164	(1)
Answers to Problems	165	(1)
Postscript	166	(27)
APPENDICES
A Proportions of Area under the Normal Curve	169	(4)
B Table of Random Numbers	173	(6)
C Critical Values of t	179	(2)
D Critical Values of F	181	(4)
E Critical Values of Chi-square	185	(2)
F Glossary of Formulas	187	(6)
Index	193

Excerpts

Statistics for the Terrified(3d ed.) is a user-friendly introduction to elementary statistics, intended primarily for the reluctant, math anxious/avoidant person. Written in a personal and informal style, the aim of this book is to help readers make the leap from apprehension to comprehension of elementary statistics.Statistics for the Terrifiedis intended as a supplemental text for courses in statistics and research methods; as a refresher for students who have already taken a statistics course; or as a primer for new students of elementary statistics. Millions of people have math anxiety--yet this is rarely taken into consideration in textbooks on statistics. This book presents state-of-the-art, empirically supported self-help strategies (based on the cognitive behavioral techniques of rational emotive therapy) that help people manage their math anxiety so they can relax and build confidence while learning statistics.Statistics for the Terrifiedmakes statistics accessible to people first by helping them manage their emotions and then by presenting them with other essential material for learning statistics before jumping into statistics. After covering these prerequisites, the remainder of the book presents an introduction to elementary statistics in a personal and informal manner with a great deal of encouragement, step-by-step assistance, and numerous concrete examples, without lengthy theoretical discussions. ORGANIZATION This book is divided into four sections. Section I--Essentials for Statistics--consists of three chapters. The first chapter introduces the text and presents effective strategies for studying statistics; the second discusses effective self-help strategies for overcoming math anxiety; and the third reviews basic math concepts. Section II--Describing Univariate Data--contains chapters on frequency distributions, descriptive statistics, the normal curve, and percentiles and standard scores. Section III--Correlation and Regression--consists of chapters on correlation coefficients and linear regression. Section IV--Inferential Statistics--contains four chapters on understanding inferential statistics, the t Test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and chi square. The final chapter summarizes the text and congratulates the reader on a job well done. CHANGES FROM THE SECOND EDITION The first change that readers of the first two editions will notice is the organization of the book. The third edition is organized into sections to clearly demarcate the different topic areas. The first section reflects the biggest change. Section I was created to directly address the needs of the audience for whom the book is primarily intended, prior to covering statistics. The first chapter consists of a revised introduction, along with the addition of effective strategies for studying statistics. Chapters 2 and 3, which address how to manage math anxiety and basic math review, were tucked away in the back of the second edition in the appendix. In addition to these changes, in Section II frequency distributions and graphing data are now covered before descriptive statistics. A new chapter on the normal curve was added. In Section III, the chapter on correlation coefficients now includes discussion of both the Pearson product-moment correlation and the Spearman correlation for ranked data. Although the order of the coverage of topics in statistics in the remaining chapters remained the same in this edition, almost every chapter was revised. Many of the advanced topics that were introduced in previous editions (e.g., multiple regression, partial regression, two-way ANOVA, and the Mann-Whitney U), but not discussed in detail due to space limitations, were eliminated to make room for more in-depth discussion of basic statistical concepts and techniques. New topics covered in this edition include levels of measurement,