A Guide for Statistics in the Behavioral Sciences

by Jeff Foster

This book is a learning tool and reference guide for individuals who are confronted with statistical or research terminology commonly used in the behavioral sciences, whether it be psychology, education, communication, political science, or any of dozens of other fields that study society and individual differences. It provides an overview of common statistical terms, techniques, and processes. The text has two goals. The first is helping readers become better consumers of statistics so they can better understand and interpret results presented to them. The second is presenting information that can be useful for statistics and research methods courses. Unlike most standard textbooks, which are often much longer and more detailed, this book reviews standard statistical concepts and techniques at a very high level using easy-to-understand language and real world examples. Each section includes a general review of the topic, relevant key terms, an example, and a story or illustration that highlights key points and questions. Topics fall within two general areas. The first is measurement and research basics, which covers types of scales, item writing, translations, study design, reliability, and validity. The second is statistical calculations and analyses, including descriptive statistics, distributions, t-tests, analysis of variance (ANOVA), chi-square, correlation, and regression. The introduction covers many basic statistical concepts and the concluding section presents suggestions for presenting your own statistical results.

123 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 5, 2016

About the author

Jeff Foster graduated in Astrophysics from Cambridge University in 2001. Several years after graduation, following a period of severe depression and illness, he became addicted to the idea of "spiritual enlightenment", and embarked on an intensive spiritual search which lasted for several years.

The spiritual search came to an absolute end with the clear seeing that there is only ever Oneness. In the clarity of this seeing, life became what it always was: spontaneous, clear, joyful and fully alive, and Jeff began to write and talk about "nonduality" (which he often calls "the utterly, utterly obvious").

He holds meetings and retreats in the UK and Europe, clearly and directly pointing to the frustrations surrounding the spiritual search, to the nature of mind, and to the Clarity at the heart of everything. His uncompromising approach, full of humor and compassion, shatters the mind's hopes for a future awakening, revealing the awakening that is always already present, right in the midst of life.

"