Understanding and Using Advanced Statistics : A Practical Guide for Students

The spread of sophisticated computer packages and the machinery on which to run them has meant that procedures which were previously only available to experienced researchers with access to expensive machines and research students can now be carried out in a few seconds by almost every undergraduate. Understanding and Using Advanced Statistics provides the basis for gaining an understanding of what these analytic procedures do, when they should be used, and what the results provided signify.

This comprehensive textbook guides students and researchers through the transition from simple statistics to more complex procedures with accessible language and illustration. Each chapter covers a separate statistical method and provides:

• An outline of the technique
• Examples of the types of question it answers
• An explanation of the information that can be gleaned from the results
• Examples from published literature of how the technique has been used in a range of disciplines
• Frequently asked questions
• A comprehensive chapter summary
• Suggestions for further reading
• A glossary of key terms

As statistical techniques become increasingly common and the understanding of these becomes ever more essential, Understanding and Using Advanced Statistics is an essential guide for all students and researchers throughout the social sciences.

Dr Jeremy Foster is Principal Lecturer in the Department of Psychology and Speech Therapy at Manchester Metropolitan University.

Research Interests:

Cannabis, Ecstasy (MDMA), risk factors for psychosis in the general population, experiences people have after using recreational drugs, effects of psychosis proneness and recreational cannabis use on cognitive function, schizophrenia and other psychoses, early psychosis, use of technology in research, health and well being of adolescents and children, neuropsychology, neuroscience, functional brain imaging.