An Independent Variable

This book presents the elaboration model for the multivariate analysis of observational quantitative data. This model entails the systematic introduction of "third variables" to the analysis of a focal relationship between one independent and one dependent variable to ascertain whether an inference of causality is justified. Two complementary strategies are used: an exclusionary strategy that rules out alternative explanations such as spuriousness and redundancy with competing theories, and an inclusive strategy that connects the focal relationship to a network of other relationships, including the hypothesized causal mechanisms linking the focal independent variable to the focal dependent variable. The primary emphasis is on the translation of theory into a logical analytic strategy and the interpretation of results. The elaboration model is applied with case studies drawn from newly published research that serve as prototypes for aligning theory and the data analytic plan used to test it; these studies are drawn from a wide range of substantive topics in the social sciences, such as emotion management in the workplace, subjective age identification during the transition to adulthood, and the relationship between religious and paranormal beliefs. The second application of the elaboration model is in the form of original data analysis presented in two Analysis Journals that are integrated throughout the text and implement the full elaboration model. Using real data, not contrived examples, the text provides a step-by-step guide through the process of integrating theory with data analysis in order to arrive at meaningful answers to research questions.

An intro to statistics.

Written for communication students, Quantitative Research in Communication provides practical, user-friendly coverage of how to use statistics, how to interpret SPSS printouts, how to write results, and how to assess whether the assumptions of various procedures have been met. Providing a strong conceptual orientation to techniques and procedures that range from the "moderately basic" to "highly advanced," the book provides practical tips and suggestions for quantitative communication scholars of all experience levels. In addition to important foundational information, each chapter that covers a specific statistical procedure includes suggestions for interpreting, explaining, and presenting results; realistic examples of how the procedure can be used to answer substantive questions in communication; sample SPSS printouts; and a detailed summary of a published communication journal article using that procedure. Features · Engaged Research application boxes stimulate thought and discussion, illustrating how particular research methods can be used to answer very practical, civic-minded questions. · Realistic examples at the beginning of each chapter show how the chapter′s procedure could be used to answer a substantive research question. · Examples and application activities geared toward the emerging trend of service learning encourage students to do projects oriented toward their community or campus. · Summaries of journal articles demonstrate how to write statistical results in APA style and illustrate how real researchers use statistical procedures in a wide variety of contexts, such as tsunami warnings, date requests, and anti-drug public service announcements. · How to Decipher Figures show students how to "read" the statistical shorthand presented in the quantitative results of an article and also, by implication, show them how to write up results . Quantitative Research in Communication is ideal for courses in Quantitative Methods in Communication, Statistical Methods in Communication, Advanced Research Methods (undergraduate), and Introduction to Research Methods (Graduate) in departments of communication, educational psychology, psychology, and mass communication.

"Comprising more than 500 entries, the Encyclopedia of Research Design explains how to make decisions about research design, undertake research projects in an ethical manner, interpret and draw valid inferences from data, and evaluate experiment design strategies and results. Two additional features carry this encyclopedia far above other works in the field: bibliographic entries devoted to significant articles in the history of research design and reviews of contemporary tools, such as software and statistical procedures, used to analyze results. It covers the spectrum of research design strategies, from material presented in introductory classes to topics necessary in graduate research; it addresses cross- and multidisciplinary research needs, with many examples drawn from the social and behavioral sciences, neurosciences, and biomedical and life sciences; it provides summaries of advantages and disadvantages of often-used strategies; and it uses hundreds of sample tables, figures, and equations based on real-life cases."--Publisher's description.

Printed in color. Introductory Business Statistics is designed to meet the scope and sequence requirements of the one-semester statistics course for business, economics, and related majors. Core statistical concepts and skills have been augmented with practical business examples, scenarios, and exercises. The result is a meaningful understanding of the discipline, which will serve students in their business careers and real-world experiences.

An informative and unintimidating look at the basics of research in the social and behavioural sciences. It makes research methods accessible for students - describing how to collect and analyse data and providing thorough instruction on how to prepare and write a research proposal and manuscript.

This open access publication deals with the operationalisation of the welfare state as an independent variable. To study how welfare states affect social inequality, individual behaviour, attitudes and more in different countries, an empirical operationalisation of the welfare state or specific elements of social policy is required. However, this operationalisation is fraught with some important problems. These problems essentially relate to one point: while there are a large number of contributions dealing with the measurement of differences between welfare states per se and as a dependent variable, there is a lack of feasible recommendations for a standardised operationalisation of welfare stateness as an independent variable. So far, there has been no systematic investigation of how such different approaches may affect the results and their comparability. Also missing is an in-depth conceptual discussion of which features of the welfare state are particularly relevant for explaining certain effects. This book fills both gaps. First, it exposes the pitfalls of existing approaches and shows how much empirical results can vary depending on the operationalisation chosen. Second, it proposes a framework for a standardised conceptualisation and operationalisation of social policies as independent variables that constrains operational decisions in a theoretically meaningful way.

This important collection brings together leading econometricians to discuss advances in the areas of the econometrics of panel data. The papers in this collection can be grouped into two categories. The first, which includes chapters by Amemiya, Baltagi, Arellano, Bover and Labeaga, primarily deal with different aspects of limited dependent variables and sample selectivity. The second group of papers, including those by Nerlove, Schmidt and Ahn, Kiviet, Davies and Lahiri, consider issues that arise in the estimation of dyanamic (possibly) heterogeneous panel data models. Overall, the contributors focus on the issues of simplifying complex real-world phenomena into easily generalisable inferences from individual outcomes. As the contributions of G. S. Maddala in the fields of limited dependent variables and panel data were particularly influential, it is a fitting tribute that this volume is dedicated to him.