Instructor Manual For
Statistics A Tool for Social Research and Data Analysis 11e Joseph F. Healey
Christopher Donoghue
Chapter 1-15
Chapter 1
New to this Edition
Updated Learning Objectives for the chapter
U
...
Instructor Manual For
Statistics A Tool for Social Research and Data Analysis 11e Joseph F. Healey
Christopher Donoghue
Chapter 1-15
Chapter 1
New to this Edition
Updated Learning Objectives for the chapter
Updated “Using Statistics” box
Updated “Statistics in Everyday Life” box on Push Polls
Updated “The Goals of This Text” section
Updated “Statistics in Everyday Life” box on Using Descriptive Statistics
Updated “Statistics in Everyday Life” box on Using Inferential Statistics
Updated “Statistics in Everyday Life” box on Changes in Socioeconomic Status in the U.S.
New graph on Percent of Americans Identifying as Lower Class
Some section titles have been changed for clarity
Added one problem
Updated “Reading Statistics” box
Learning Objectives: By the end of this chapter, students will be able to
1. Identify the key stages and terms in social scientific research
2. Distinguish between descriptive and inferential statistics
3. Provide examples of discrete and continuous variables
4. Describe three levels of measurement and cite examples of each.
Chapter Summary
The text begins by explaining the role of statistics in the research process. The discussion is guided by
the "Wheel of Science" as conceptualized by Walter Wallace (Figure 1.1). The text always presents
statistics in the context of the research enterprise. That is, statistics are presented as useful tools for
answering sociological questions and testing social science theories, never as ends in themselves.
The chapter also distinguishes between descriptive and inferential statistics and univariate, bivariate, and
multivariate statistics. The distinction between discrete and continuous variables and the concept of level
of measurement is presented in this chapter and the latter is stressed throughout the text as an
organizational device and as a major criterion for selecting statistics appropriately. Exercises are provided
at the end of the chapter for reviewing the characteristics of the three levels of measurement used in this
text.
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