Statistics: A Tool for Social Research and Data Analysis

Because math anxiety is a common and often serious problem for many students, the text provides a substantial math review section, including a self-test, to help students sharpen the skills required for the course and gain confidence in their ability to master the material. Extremely accessible, the book is designed to help those who struggle with math. All formulas in the text are followed by boxes that explain step-by-step how to carry out the math.

Streamlined content and a student-friendly page design make the text less intimidating for students with math anxiety as well as more enjoyable for all students and instructors. Overviews for each section of the text clarify the organization, preview the content and key concepts, and help students understand why the material is covered. Extensive problem sets at the end of each chapter and multichapter cumulative exercises help students review key concepts and operations to ensure they have a solid understanding.

Almost all end-of-chapter problems are labeled by the social science discipline or discipline from which they are drawn: SOC for sociology, SP for social policy, MR for market research, SW for social work, PS for political science, CJ for criminal justice, PA for public administration and GER for gerontology. By identifying problems with specific disciplines, students can more easily see the relevance of statistics to their own academic interests. They will also see that the disciplines have a large subject matter in common.

All end-of-chapter problem sections include SPSS problems.