Every time this question comes up, I put in a plug for Art and Elaine Aron's Statistics for Psychology; for me, it provides the best balance between teaching concepts and providing good examples and sample problems.
________________________________________ From: Dr. Bob Wildblood [[email protected]] Sent: Friday, October 30, 2009 5:27 PM To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) Subject: Re: [tips] Intro Statistics Text recommendation Nancy, Have you looked at Janie Wilson's book. I liked the one that cam out about5 -6 years ago and there is a 2008 edition. Amazon info: Essential Statistics Value Package (includes SPSS 16.0 CD) by Janie H. Wilson (Paperback - Jun 15, 2008) Buy new: $135.00 1 used from $120.00 Somewhat expensive, but aren't all books now. I had the same problem the last time I taught statistics but converted a lot of the exercises that were not specifically psyc exercises so that they seemed like psych exercises. It wasn't really too hard or time consuming. And, I guess I am old fashioned as well. I make them learn to do it by hand before moving to the computer. Without that I have found that they have no idea if the answers they get are even close to reality. Bob ---- Original message ---- >Date: Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:28:13 -0400 >From: [email protected] >Subject: [tips] Intro Statistics Text recommendation >To: "Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS)" <[email protected]> > > Hi, > > I have been asked to teach baby Stats (again) for > psychology at a school where my teacher evaluations > have been generally decent but the faculty > evaluator, who looks at our course materials, does > not like my choice of book. > > I use Bluman Brief Edition (4th) which is not a > "Psych Stats" book. The examples and practice > problems (of which there are a lot, that's why I > like the book) cover a variety of social, > educational, criminal justice and business > applications...there are a few pure psych problems > mixed in, not many. The course includes lecture time > (during which I teach concepts and lots of by > hand-solving of problems) and an SPSS lab. > > I would like to keep my job at this CSU (a concern > in our current budget environment), but I am > reluctant to part with my book. I like it. Other > "stats for psych" books I've used have had far fewer > practice problems available and emphasize "teaching > the concepts". I hate that. I know I can supply my > own problems but I was hoping that someone out there > knows of a "stats for psych" book that at least > provides a balance between conceptual understanding > and teaching students to grasp and perform the > processes of statistical calculation with lots of > real practice problems, related to psych and the > social sciences closely allied to it. > > Before I go through the nuisance of doing this and > having to learn someone else's way of doing some of > the procedures (every book has a few of its own > idiosyncratic presentations of formulae), I thought > I might at least find a book, with your help, that > provides a decent number of practice problems. > > . Robert W. Wildblood, PhD Riverside Counseling Center and Adjunct at Germanna CC, Fredericksburg, VA [email protected] . The soundest argument will produce no more conviction in an empty head than the most superficial declamation; as a feather and a guinea fall with equal velocity in a vacuum. - Charles Caleb Colton, author and clergyman (1780-1832) . Be like the fountain that overflows, not like the cistern that merely contains. -Paulo Coelho, Brazilian Author and Lyricist . We have an obligation and a responsibility to be investing in our students and our schools. We must make sure that people who have the grades, the desire and the will, but not the money, can still get the best education possible. - Barack Obama, President of the United States of America --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([email protected]) --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([email protected])
