Statistical Modeling and Inference for Social Science
Series: (Analytical Methods for Social Research)
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 2014
Place of publication: New York, USA
Language: eng
Format: Paperback; Hardcover
Number of pages: 391
ISBN-13: 9781107003149; 9781316622223
Copyright date: 2014
Description: "This book provides an introduction to probability theory, statistical inference, and statistical modeling for social science researchers and Ph.D. students. Focusing on the connection between statistical procedures and social science theory, Sean Gailmard develops core statistical theory as a set of tools to model and assess relationships between variables - the primary aim of social scientists. Gailmard explains how social scientists express and test substantive theoretical arguments in various models. Chapter exercises require application of concepts to actual data and extend students' grasp of core theoretical concepts. Students will complete the book with the ability to read and critique statistical applications in their fields of interest"-- Provided by publisher.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (pages 361-366) and index.
Table of contents: title: 1. Introduction;; title: 2. Descriptive statistics: data and information;; title: 3. Observable data and data-generating processes;; title: 4. Probability theory: basic properties of data-generating processes;; title: 5. Expectation and moments: summaries of data-generating processes;; title: 6. Probability and models: linking positive theories and data-generating processes;; title: 7. Sampling distributions: linking data-generating processes and observable data;; title: 8. Hypothesis testing: assessing claims about the data-generating process;; title: 9. Estimation: recovering properties of the data-generating process;; title: 10. Causal inference: inferring causation from correlation;; title: Afterword: statistical methods and empirical research.