The Essence of Multivariate Thinking: Basic Themes and Methods

Lisa L. Harlow,
Lawrence Erlbaum Ass.|ISBN 0805837299|
2005|264 Pages| MB|

The Essence of Multivariate Thinking is intended to make multivariate statistics more accessible to a wide audience. To encourage a more thorough understanding of multivariate methods, author Lisa Harlow suggests basic themes that run through most statistical methodology. The most pervasive theme is multiplicity. The author argues that the use of multivariate methods encourages multiple ways of investigating phenomena. She explains that widening our lens to identify multiple theories, constructs, measures, samples, methods, and time points provide greater reliability and validity in our research. Dr. Harlow then shows how these themes are applied to several multivariate methods, with the hope that this will ease understanding in the basic concepts of multivariate thinking. Formulas are kept at a minimum.

The first three chapters review the core themes that run through multivariate methods. Seven different multivariate methods are then described using 10 questions that illuminate the main features, uses, multiplicity, themes, interpretations, and applications. The seven methods covered are multiple regression, analysis of covariance, multivariate analysis of variance, discriminant function analysis, logistic regression, canonical correlation, and principal components/factor analysis. The final chapter pulls together the principal themes and features charts that list common themes and how they pertain to each of the methods discussed.

The Essence of Multivariate Thinking, features:
*A unique focus on the underlying themes that run through most multivariate methods.
*A dual focus on significance tests and effect sizes to encourage readers to adopt a thorough approach to assessing the significance and magnitude of their findings.
*A detailed example for each method to delineate how the multivariate themes apply.
*Tabular results from statistical analysis programs that mirror sections of the output files.
*A common dataset throughout the chapters to provide continuity with the variables and research questions.
*A CD with data, SAS program setup and output, homework exercises, and chapter lectures.
This book is useful to advanced students, professionals, and researchers interested in applying multivariate methods in such fields as behavioral medicine, social, health, personality, developmental, cognitive, and industrial-organizational psychology, as well as in education and evaluation. A preliminary knowledge of basic statistics, research methods, basic algebra, and finite mathematics is recommended.

            

Qualitative Research in Psychology: Expanding Perspectives in Methodology and Design

P. Camic, J. E. Rhodes, L. Yardley
APA | ISBN 1557989796| 2003|
PDF|315 Pages| 19.5 MB|
Qualitative Research in Psychology brings together a diverse group of scholars who share valuable qualitative research techniques and rich case examples. Qualitative methodologies and the different paradigms which guide them can be seen as both an alternative and complementary approach to quantification and positivism in social, personality, developmental, health, clinical, counseling, community and school psychology. Qualitative methodology seen as an alternative approach seeks to answer questions that cannot be answered through quantification, random sampling, probability testing and other measures, which seek to control the environment of the participant. Viewed as a complementary approach to research, qualitative methodology can be utilized alongside quantitative methods, bringing a new depth and richness to data analysis. The wide variety of innovative techniques and theoretical perspectives offered in this volume will challenge readers to think about and expand on their understanding of qualitative research and its continually emerging applications.

Adapting Educational and Psychological Tests for Cross-Cultural Assessment

R. Hambleton, P. Merenda, Ch. Spielberger
Lawrence Erlbaum Ass.|ISBN 0805830251|
2005|PDF|392 pages |21.93 MB|


Adapting Educational and Psychological Tests for Cross-Cultural Assessment critically examines and advances new methods and practices for adapting tests for cross-cultural assessment and research. The International Test Commission (ITC) guidelines for test adaptation and conceptual and methodological issues in test adaptation are described in detail, and questions of ethics and concern for validity of test scores in cross-cultural contexts are carefully examined. Advances in test translation and adaptation methodology, including statistical identification of flawed test items, establishing equivalence of different language versions of a test, and methodologies for comparing tests in multiple languages, are reviewed and evaluated. The book also focuses on adapting ability, achievement, and personality tests for cross-cultural assessment in educational, industrial, and clinical settings.
This book furthers the ITC's mission of stimulating research on timely topics associated with assessment. It provides an excellent resource for courses in psychometric methods, test construction, and educational and/or psychological assessment, testing, and measurement. Written by internationally known scholars in psychometric methods and cross-cultural psychology, the collection of chapters should also provide essential information for educators and psychologists involved in cross-cultural assessment, as well as students aspiring to such careers.

Flowgraph Models for Multistate Time-to-Event Data

Aparna V. Huzurbazar,
Wiley-Interscience | ISBN 0471265144| 2004|
PDF| 270 Pages| 4,4 MB|

A unique introduction to the innovative methodology of statistical flowgraphs.
This book offers a practical, application-based approach to flowgraph models for time-to-event data. It clearly shows how this innovative new methodology can be used to analyze data from semi-Markov processes without prior knowledge of stochastic processes––opening the door to interesting applications in survival analysis and reliability as well as stochastic processes.
Unlike other books on multistate time-to-event data, this work emphasizes reliability and not just biostatistics, illustrating each method with medical and engineering examples. It demonstrates how flowgraphs bring together applied probability techniques and combine them with data analysis and statistical methods to answer questions of practical interest. Bayesian methods of data analysis are emphasized. Coverage includes:
* Clear instructions on how to model multistate time-to-event data using flowgraph models
* An emphasis on computation, real data, and Bayesian methods for problem solving
* Real-world examples for analyzing data from stochastic processes
* The use of flowgraph models to analyze complex stochastic networks
* Exercise sets to reinforce the practical approach of this volume
Flowgraph Models for Multistate Time-to-Event Data is an invaluable resource/reference for researchers in biostatistics/survival analysis, systems engineering, and in fields that use stochastic processes, including anthropology, biology, psychology, computer science, and engineering.