Full Description
In an age of artificial intelligence and misinformation, Statistics for Criminology and Criminal Justice helps students question data. Jacinta M. Gau breaks down complicated concepts, presents statistical tests step by step, and uses SPSS to obtain and interpret output. The Fourth Edition includes new examples, data sets, learning checks and review questions.
Contents
Preface to the Third Edition
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Part I: Descriptive Statistics
Chapter 1: Introduction to the Use of Statistics in Criminal Justice and Criminology
Science: Basic Terms and Concepts
Types of Scientific Research in Criminal Justice and Criminology
Software Packages for Statistical Analysis
Organization of the Book
Thinking Critically
Review Problems
Key Terms
Chapter 2: Types of Variables and Levels of Measurement
Units and Levels of Analysis
Independent Variables and Dependent Variables
Correlation versus Causation
Levels of Measurement
Chapter Summary
Thinking Critically
Review Problems
Key Terms
Chapter 3: Organizing, Displaying, and Presenting Data
Data Distributions
Graphs and Charts
Grouping Data
SPSS
Chapter Summary
Thinking Critically
Review Problems
Key Terms
Glossary of Symbols and Abbreviations Introduced in This Chapter
Chapter 4: Measures of Central Tendency
Distribution Shapes
The Median
The Mean
Using Means and Medians to Determine Distribution Shape
Deviation Scores and the Mean as the Midpoint of the Magnitudes
SPSS
Chapter Summary
Thinking Critically
Review Problems
Key Terms
Glossary of Symbols and Abbreviations Introduced in This Chapter
Chapter 5: Measures of Dispersion
The Variation Ratio
The Range
The Variance
The Standard Deviation
The Standard Deviation and the Normal Curve
Chapter Summary
Thinking Critically
Review Problems
Key Terms
Glossary of Symbols and Abbreviations Introduced in This Chapter
Part II: Probability and Distributions
Chapter 6: Probability
Discrete Probability: The Binomial Probability Distribution
Continuous Probability: The Standard Normal Curve
Chapter Summary
Thinking Critically
Review Problems
Key Terms
Glossary of Symbols and Abbreviations Introduced in This Chapter
Chapter 7: Population, Sample, and Sampling Distributions
Empirical Distributions: Population and Sample Distributions
Theoretical Distributions: Sampling Distributions
Sample Size and the Sampling Distribution: The z and t Distributions
Chapter Summary
Thinking Critically
Review Problems
Key Terms
Glossary of Symbols and Abbreviations Introduced in This Chapter
Chapter 8: Point Estimates and Confidence Intervals
The Level of Confidence: The Probability of Being Correct
Confidence Intervals for Means with Large Samples
Confidence Intervals for Means with Small Samples
Confidence Intervals with Proportions
Chapter Summary
Thinking Critically
Review Problems
Key Terms
Glossary of Symbols and Abbreviations Introduced in This Chapter
Part III: Hypothesis Testing
Chapter 9: Hypothesis Testing: A Conceptual Introduction
Sample Statistics and Population Parameters: Sampling Error or True Difference?
Null and Alternative Hypotheses
Chapter Summary
Thinking Critically
Review Problems
Key Terms
Glossary of Symbols and Abbreviations Introduced in This Chapter
Chapter 10: Hypothesis Testing with Two Categorical Variables: Chi-Square
The Chi-Square Test of Independence
Measures of Association
SPSS
Chapter Summary
Thinking Critically
Review Problems
Key Terms
Glossary of Symbols and Abbreviations Introduced in This Chapter
Chapter 11: Hypothesis Testing with Two Population Means or Proportions
Two-Population Tests for Differences Between Means: t Tests
Two-Population Tests for Differences Between Proportions
SPSS
Chapter Summary
Thinking Critically
Review Problems
Key Terms
Glossary of Symbols and Abbreviations Introduced in This Chapter
Chapter 12: Hypothesis Testing with Three or More Population Means: Analysis of Variance
ANOVA: Different Types of Variances
When the Null Is Rejected: A Measure of Association and Post Hoc Tests
SPSS
Chapter Summary
Thinking Critically
Review Problems
Key Terms
Glossary of Symbols and Abbreviations Introduced in This Chapter
Chapter 13: Hypothesis Testing with Two Continuous Variables: Correlation
Beyond Statistical Significance: Sign, Magnitude, and Coefficient of Determination
SPSS
Chapter Summary
Thinking Critically
Review Problems
Key Terms
Glossary of Symbols and Abbreviations Introduced in This Chapter
Chapter 14: Introduction to Regression Analysis
One Independent Variable and One Dependent Variable: Bivariate Regression
Adding Independent Variables: Multiple Regression
Alternatives to Ordinary Least Squares Regression
Ordinary Least Squares and Logistic Regression in SPSS
Chapter Summary
Thinking Critically
Review Problems
Key Terms
Glossary of Symbols and Abbreviations Introduced in This Chapter
Appendix A. Review of Basic Mathematical Techniques
Appendix B. Standard Normal (z) Distribution
Appendix C. t Distribution
Appendix D. Chi-Square (?2) Distribution
Appendix E. F Distribution
Glossary
Learning Checks Answer Key
Review Problems Answer Key
References
Index
