Synopses & Reviews
The easy way to get down with statisticsStymied by statistics? Fear not! In easy-to-understand terms, this friendly guide shows you how to collect, graph, and critique data; decipher distributions; calculate confidence intervals and hypothesis tests; analyze data with correlation, regression, and two-way tables; and much more.
The world of statistics — get a handle on the quantity and quality of statistics you encounter in everyday life
Get the big picture — explore data using graphs and charts and describe data using means, medians, standard scores, percentiles, and more
Results may vary — understand common statistical distributions and find out how to work with random variables, standard error, the Central Limit Theorem, and more
Guesstimate with confidence — use standard error, confidence intervals, and hypothesis tests to make conclusions about a population
Dig into statistical studies and their analyses — get the scoop on polls, experiments, correlation, linear regression, two-way tables, and independence
Open the book and find:
Plain-English explanations of statistical jargon
Information on organizing, graphing, and critiquing data
The 411 on random variables; the binomial, normal, t-, and sampling distributions; and the Central Limit Theorem
Pointers for conducting, interpreting, and critiquing polls and experiments
Data analysis tools for regression, confidence intervals, hypothesis tests, and two-way tables
Plenty of examples and figures to illustrate important concepts and methods
Learn to:
Grasp statistical ideas, techniques, formulas, and calculations
Interpret and critique graphs and charts, determine probability, and work with confidence intervals
Critique and analyze data from polls and experiments
Synopsis
The fun and easy way to get down to business with statisticsStymied by statistics? No fear ? this friendly guide offers clear, practical explanations of statistical ideas, techniques, formulas, and calculations, with lots of examples that show you how these concepts apply to your everyday life.
Statistics For Dummies shows you how to interpret and critique graphs and charts, determine the odds with probability, guesstimate with confidence using confidence intervals, set up and carry out a hypothesis test, compute statistical formulas, and more.
- Tracks to a typical first semester statistics course
- Updated examples resonate with today's students
- Explanations mirror teaching methods and classroom protocol
Packed with practical advice and real-world problems, Statistics For Dummies gives you everything you need to analyze and interpret data for improved classroom or on-the-job performance.
About the Author
Deborah J. Rumsey, PhD, is a professor of statistics and the director of the Mathematics and Statistics Learning Center at The Ohio State University. She is the author of Statistics Workbook For Dummies, Statistics II For Dummies, and Probability For Dummies.
Table of Contents
Introduction.Part I: Vital Statistics about Statistics.
Chapter 1: Statistics in a Nutshell.
Chapter 2: The Statistics of Everyday Life.
Chapter 3: Taking Control: So Many Numbers, So Little Time.
Chapter 4: Tools of the Trade.
Part II: Number-Crunching Basics.
Chapter 5: Means, Medians, and More.
Chapter 6: Getting the Picture: Graphing Categorical Data.
Chapter 7: Going by the Numbers: Graphing Numerical Data.
Part III: Distributions and the Central Limit Theorem.
Chapter 8: Random Variables and the Binomial Distribution.
Chapter 9: The Normal Distribution.
Chapter 10: The t-Distribution.
Chapter 11: Sampling Distributions and the Central Limit Theorem.
Part IV: Guesstimating and Hypothesizing with Confidence.
Chapter 12: Leaving Room for a Margin of Error.
Chapter 13: Confi dence Intervals: Making Your Best Guesstimate.
Chapter 14: Claims, Tests, and Conclusions.
Chapter 15: Commonly Used Hypothesis Tests: Formulas and Examples.
Part V: Statistical Studies and the Hunt for a Meaningful Relationship.
Chapter 16: Polls, Polls, and More Polls.
Chapter 17: Experiments: Medical Breakthroughs or Misleading Results?
Chapter 18: Looking for Links: Correlation and Regression.
Chapter 19: Two-Way Tables and Independence.
Part VI: The Part of Tens.
Chapter 20: Ten Tips for the Statistically Savvy Sleuth.
Chapter 21: Ten Surefi re Exam Score Boosters.
Appendix: Tables for Reference.
Index.