The Cambridge Handbook of Research Methods and Statistics for the Social and Behavioral Sciences Book contents
- The Cambridge Handbook of Research Methods and Statistics for the Social and Behavioral Sciences
- Cambridge Handbooks in Psychology
- The Cambridge Handbook of Research Methods and Statistics for the Social and Behavioral Sciences
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Contributors
- Preface
- Part I From Idea to Reality: The Basics of Research
- Part II The Building Blocks of a Study
- Part III Data Collection
- Part IV Statistical Approaches
- 21 Data Cleaning
- 22 Descriptive and Inferential Statistics
- 23 Testing Theories with Bayes Factors
- 24 Introduction to Exploratory Factor Analysis: An Applied Approach
- 25 Structural Equation Modeling
- 26 Multilevel Modeling
- 27 Meta-Analysis
- 28 Qualitative Analysis
- Part V Tips for a Successful Research Career
- Index
- References
22 - Descriptive and Inferential Statistics
from Part IV - Statistical Approaches
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 May 2023
- The Cambridge Handbook of Research Methods and Statistics for the Social and Behavioral Sciences
- Cambridge Handbooks in Psychology
- The Cambridge Handbook of Research Methods and Statistics for the Social and Behavioral Sciences
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Contributors
- Preface
- Part I From Idea to Reality: The Basics of Research
- Part II The Building Blocks of a Study
- Part III Data Collection
- Part IV Statistical Approaches
- 21 Data Cleaning
- 22 Descriptive and Inferential Statistics
- 23 Testing Theories with Bayes Factors
- 24 Introduction to Exploratory Factor Analysis: An Applied Approach
- 25 Structural Equation Modeling
- 26 Multilevel Modeling
- 27 Meta-Analysis
- 28 Qualitative Analysis
- Part V Tips for a Successful Research Career
- Index
- References
Summary
What are statistics and why do we need them? This chapter introduces descriptive statistics and then creates a bridge from describing data concisely to answering questions using hypothesis testing and inferential statistics. The chapter leads the reader to an understanding of how descriptive statistics summarize and communicate meaning, based on data, and how they underpin inferential statistics. Research study examples, figures, and tables throughout the chapter explain the topics addressed by applying the ideas discussed. The chapter begins with the basics of descriptive statistics – normal distributions, options for displaying frequencies, measures of central tendency and variability, and correlations. The transition to inferential statistics covers standardization and the z-score, sampling, confidence intervals, and basics of hypothesis testing including Type I and II errors. We then introduce inferential statistics using three methods – t-tests, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and chi-square tests.
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- The Cambridge Handbook of Research Methods and Statistics for the Social and Behavioral SciencesVolume 1: Building a Program of Research, pp. 468 - 493Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2023
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