"A number of my students commended the readability of the book....It is truly one of a kind in the most excellent way." -Elsie Szecsy, Arizona State University This textbook focuses attention on the conceptual understanding of statistics, the signposts of (in)appropriate research design and quality measurement, the selection of the right statistical tools under different conditions, and the presentation of substantive and technical results. Key Features Illustrates statistical and graphical procedures in SPSS and Excel through step-by-step instructions for the analysis of real-world examples and data problems in education, crime, government performance, and program evaluation Clearly demonstrates the importance of sound research designs and measurement as well as appropriate statistical procedures Shows how to make persuasive as well as principled statistical arguments and presentations to nonacademic audiences Embeds statistical analysis within a political framework, thus alerting students to the temptation to distort data and its interpretation, the limits of dispassionate analysis, and the conditions under which sound analysis can inform decisions Instructors interested in this title can learn more about Robert Pearson and his book by viewing his YouTube video. Accompanied by robust ancillaries The Password-Protected Instructor Teaching Site offers sample syllabi; an instructor's manual; PowerPoint lecture slides, test questions and answer keys for each chapter and a final comprehensive examination, solution sets to lab exercises, and handouts for students. The Student Study Site offers a student workbook that includes exercises, essay assignments, and sample data sets. Video lectures concerning key concepts are also available on YouTube.
PREFACE ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 1. Introduction 2. Research Design and Data Collection 3. Measurement 4. Data Editing, Transformation, Index Construction, and Weights 5. Statistics as Description 6. Charts and Graphs 7. Percentages and Contingency Tables 8. Samples and Statistical Inference 9. Statistics as Group Differences 10. Statistics as Relationships 11. Regression Analysis 12. Detecting and Correcting Violations of Regression Assumptions 13. Time Series Analysis, Program Assessment, and Forecasting 14. Presenting Persuasive Statistical Analyses APPENDIX A: FROM WHENCE DO DATA COME? KEY STATISTICAL SITES FROM THE U.S. GOVERNMENT APPENDIX B: HOW TO SELECT THE RIGHT STATISTICS APPENDIX C: IN-CLASS QUESTIONNAIRE REFERENCES
"I am very impressed with Statistical Persuasion, by Dr. Robert W. Pearson. The textbook includes the technical and mathematical knowledge students need to understand basic statistics, and it also includes an integration of these elements within the important framework of research design. The combination of the textbook and ancillary support materials is a complete package." -- Kristen A. Munger "Statistical Persuasion will serve well those who are looking for a practical and pragmatic approach to using and interpreting statistics for applied purposes. This book would best serve as a text for a capstone course in statistics where the focus is on the presentation and consumption of statistical outcomes. It does an excellent job convincing the reader of the importance of designing a study tailored to the needs of a social science question so that the resulting findings can meaningfully answer the question." -- Jacqueline J. Carlson & Andrew N. Christopher
