Math phobia and statistics...
I run into students who express this notion fairly frequently, although I
myself do not teach statistics. One thing I try to do is to point out that most
psychological statistics courses (in my own experience) are a lot less math
than they are logic. The game in many instances is not "to do math" but to
choose which routines fit the problem (this is a logical exercise, not a
mathematical one) and apply--often with computerized help--that routine to the
data in hand.
Sure, there may be some calculations in many courses, too. But those consist
basically of (a) choosing the correct formula--again, a logical exercise; (b)
substituting into a formula; and (c) doing arithmetic. The math involved is at
the level of high school algebra, often enough.
Pat Cabe
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Patrick Cabe, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology
University of North Carolina at Pembroke
One University Drive
Pembroke, NC 28372-1510
(910) 521-6630
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
