Statistics in Criminal Justice Today

Statistics in Criminal Justice Today provides students with an introduction to statistics in the social sciences with emphasis on fundamental terms, critical analytical processes, and practical application. The text covers a wide range of research-related topics within the general academic scope of the social sciences. This approach helps students overcome negative preconceived notions related to learning statistics; provides thorough exposure to a broad array of social science topics and problem-solving scenarios; and addresses the practical and multifunctional aspects of statistics. The book features three sections, which cover descriptive statistics, probability, and inferential statistics. Dedicated chapters explore variables and measurements; measure of central tendency; dispersion; graphics; probability; hypothesis testing; and significance. Students learn about a variety of tests, including one sample Z tests, T tests, ANOVA tests, chi-square tests, correlation tests, and linear regression tests. To ensure students are exposed to the practical, applied role of statistics in today's world, brief instructions related to the use of SPSS, a popular statistical software program, are included. This content appears at the end of each chapter and includes basic SPSS how-to's and practice questions addressing conceptual terms, research processes, and criminal justice and sociology applications.