Accessibility: Aron uses both verbal and numerical explanations—definitional formulas are emphasized over computational so students can understand the logic behind the procedure. The definitional formulas are brought to center stage because they provide a concise symbolic summary of the logic of each particular procedure. All of the explanations, examples, practice problems, and test bank items are based on these definitional formulas.
SPSS Coverage: Since many professors use SPSS in the lab and class to help students work out the calculations, SPSS screen shots are included within the text to further facilitate learning. Examples in the text show students how to compute SPSS procedures and include a worked out example with screen shots.
Extensively updated throughout: Updated dozens of examples (especially the in-the-research-literature ones), updated controversies and boxes, updated the psychology topics (e.g., more neuroscience); and further streamlined the exposition.
Each procedure is taught both verbally and numerically and usually visually as well. Practice problems and test bank items require the student to calculate results, write a short explanation in layperson’s language of what they have done, and make a sketch. The chapter material completely prepares the student for these kinds of practice problems and test questions.
Focus on Research: A main goal of any introductory statistics course in psychology is to prepare students to read research articles. As this book teaches a statistical method, it also gives examples of how that method is reported in current journal articles. The practice problems and test bank items also include excerpts from journal articles for the student to explain.
Complete package of ancillary materials: This package includes a web page with additional practice problems and extensive interactive study materials, plus four "mini chapters" covering additional material not in the text, a very substantial test bank; an instructors' manual that provides sample syllabi, lecture outlines, and ready-to-copy (or download) power-point slides or transparencies with examples not in the book; and a very complete students' study guide that also provides a thorough workbook for using SPSS with this book.