Psychological Statistics: The Basics walks the reader through the core logic of statistical inference and provides a solid grounding in the techniques necessary to understand modern statistical methods in the psychological and behavioral sciences.
This book is designed to be a readable account of the role of statistics in the psychological sciences. Rather than providing a comprehensive reference for statistical methods, Psychological Statistics: The Basics gives the reader an introduction to the core procedures of estimation and model comparison, both of which form the cornerstone of statistical inference in psychology and related fields. Instead of relying on statistical recipes, the book gives the reader the big picture and provides a seamless transition to more advanced methods, including Bayesian model comparison.
Psychological Statistics: The Basics not only serves as an excellent primer for beginners but it is also the perfect refresher for graduate students, early career psychologists, or anyone else interested in seeing the big picture of statistical inference. Concise and conversational, its highly readable tone will engage any reader who wants to learn the basics of psychological statistics.
1. A (Very) Brief Introduction to Statistical Inference 2. Describing the Observed Data 3. Modeling the Observed Data 4. How Likely is the Observed Data? 5. Comparing Statistical Models 6. Introduction to the t-test 7. Bayesian Model Comparison 8. Recap and Next Steps
Biography
Thomas J. (Tom) Faulkenberry, Ph.D., is Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Psychological Sciences at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, TX (USA). A mathematician by training, he teaches courses on statistics and mathematical modeling in the behavioral sciences, and his primary research areas are mathematical cognition and Bayesian statistics.
"This book cuts to the very heart of the core principles of statistical inference and does so in a way that is accessible and easily digestible. I honestly wish a book like this one had existed when I was a student – I would have clutched it hard and never let it go!" -- Dr. Ruth Horry, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, Swansea University, UK
"I see this book as a very useful resource, not only for those who have just started their journey at the university, but also for senior students to experience "aha!" moments while recapping the basics from a unique and nicely presented perspective. I am looking forward to recommending this book to my students as soon as it is available." -- Dr. Krzysztof Cipora, Lecturer in Mathematical Cognition, Loughborough University, UK
"As a new graduate student, I was suddenly faced with academic papers presenting statistical methods. But with hardly any statistical understanding myself, I struggled to do this well. I longed for a book that I could easily refer back to. This is that book. The explanations are very accessible, the examples are relatable, and the book is concise. I thoroughly recommend it." -- Jennifer Read, Graduate Student in Education, University of Derby, UK
"If you want to understand why we use statistics in psychology, this is the book for you!" -- Dawn Short, Ph.D. student in Psychology, Abertay University, UK
"This is an accessible and helpful educational tool that students with a variety of backgrounds will enjoy. The author incorporates clear examples and is able to frame advanced concepts in a simple and straightforward way." -- Dr. Dawn Weatherford, Associate Professor of Psychology, Texas A&M University - San Antonio, USA
