Fundamental Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences (with CD-ROM and InfoTrac )

This book is a "keeper".

The author stresses the use of computers discusses several statistics programs available. He also thoughtfully provides exercise data for input to several a computer program. It is unfortunate, however, that he failed to mention the most powerful of these programs on the market today. I hope that he will examine this in future editions.


superbly-written and serious intorduction   January 24, 2001
theskeptic (Jersey)
12 out of 13 found this review helpful

I've been using the 3rd edition for several years now, and I just think it's an extraordinarily clear, concise, and well-written book. Howell is better at presenting the basic statistical concepts (of ANOVA, for example) than any other author I've seen.

Other introductory books (such as Runyon's "Fundamentals of Behavioral Statistics") may provide more advanced treatments or cover more material, but in general they end up being long-winded and unfocused. Howell's book is crisp.

And in case you're wondering about the title, statistical methods for the behavioral sciences are not different than statistical methods in any other quantitative discipline. It's just that Howell draws his examples from psychology, sociology, etc., and may make mention of some of the conventions used by researchers in these fields.


A rare jewel   December 22, 2000
William Krause (Great Neck, NY USA)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful

This may be the single best textbook I have ever used, or it may just seem that way because of the difficulty most stat textbooks have in explaining their concepts. Unfortunately, I only discovered it after two semesters of incoherent text books and bad teaching; it was only later, through his book, that I got the entire picture. Howell starts with the "why?" of statistical tests (necssary, but often not done), takes you through the equations relatively painlessly, and provides realistic commentary on actual uses, strengths and weaknesses, and controversies surrounding statistical techniques. I now tutor in statistics (really), and I just rely on Howell for the simplest and best method of explication. Now, if only he wrote an advanced text...


A clear and comprehensive introductory statistics text   March 11, 2002
Clive Lewis (Barbados, West Indies)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful

I have been using this text for Levels 1, 2, and 3 social sciences statistics teaching in Britain and abroad for over 8 years now. Although I have tried using other introductory texts, I have yet to find a text as comprehensive and as clearly written as this.


Good book...for a textbook   August 26, 2008
N. Burke
It's a good book, as far as statistics textbooks go. It makes a tough subject very easy to understand, using many accessible examples and simple terms. Most of the other students in my class had trouble with this course. I was one of the only ones who actually read the assigned chapters, and I was the only one who got a 98 in the class. So, I think that says something!