Request full copy

First Course in Statistics, A, 12th edition

Published by Pearson (January 7, 2016) © 2017

  • James T McClave University of Florida
  • Terry T Sincich University of South Florida

eTextbook

per month

  • Anytime, anywhere learning with the Pearson+ app
  • Easy-to-use search, navigation and notebook
  • Simpler studying with flashcards
from$175.99

  • Hardcover, paperback or looseleaf edition
  • Affordable rental option for select titles
  • Free shipping on looseleafs and traditional textbooks

MyLab

from$99.99

  • Reach every student with personalized support
  • Customize courses with ease
  • Optimize learning with dynamic study tools

Hallmark features of this title

  • Where We're Going bullets begin each chapter with learning objectives and section numbers that correspond to where each concept is discussed.
  • Examples foster problem-solving skills with a 3-step approach: (1) Problem, (2) Solution, and (3) Look Back (or Look Ahead).
    • Look Back gives helpful problem-solving hints and/or provides further insight into the concept or procedure.
  • A Now Work exercise suggestion follows each Example, providing a practice exercise similar in style and concept to the Example. Students test and confirm their understanding immediately.
  • End-of-chapter summaries reinforce important points through flow graphs (which aid in selecting the appropriate statistical method) and boxed notes with key words, formulas, definitions, lists and key concepts.
  • More than 1,000 exercises are based on a wide variety of applications in various disciplines and research areas.

New and updated features of this title

  • 30% of the 1,000+ exercises are updated or new, based on contemporary studies and real data. Most of these exercises foster and promote critical thinking skills.
  • Updated technology: all printouts from statistical software (SAS, SPSS, MINITAB, and the TI-83/Tl-84 Plus Graphing Calculator) and corresponding instructions for use have been revised to reflect the latest versions of the software.
  • New Statistics in Action Cases: 6 of the 14 cases are new or updated, each based on real data from a recent study.
  • Continued emphasis on Ethics: where appropriate, boxes have been added emphasizing the importance of ethical behavior when collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data with statistics.

Features of MyLab Statistics for the 12th Edition

  • 30% new and updated exercises give students more of the practice they need to succeed.
  • StatCrunch® applets have been updated to run in HTML5, so that they are more accessible and will run on most computers and tablets without additional plugins.
  • Data-informed updates: The authors have analyzed aggregated student usage and performance data from the MyLab Statistics course in the previous edition. The results of this analysis helped improved the quality and quantity of exercises that matter most to instructors and students.

Table of Contents

  1. Statistics, Data, and Statistical Thinking
    • 1.1 The Science of Statistics
    • 1.2 Types of Statistical Applications
    • 1.3 Fundamental Elements of Statistics
    • 1.4 Types of Data
    • 1.5 Collecting Data: Sampling and Related Issues
    • 1.6 The Role of Statistics in Critical Thinking and Ethics
      • Statistics in Action: Social Media Network Usage-Are You Linked In?
      • Using Technology: MINITAB: Accessing and Listing Data
  2. Methods for Describing Sets of Data
    • 2.1 Describing Qualitative Data
    • 2.2 Graphical Methods for Describing Quantitative Data
    • 2.3 Numerical Measures of Central Tendency
    • 2.4 Numerical Measures of Variability
    • 2.5 Using the Mean and Standard Deviation to Describe Data
    • 2.6 Numerical Measures of Relative Standing
    • 2.7 Methods for Detecting Outliers: Box Plots and z-Scores
    • 2.8 Graphing Bivariate Relationships (Optional)
    • 2.9 Distorting the Truth with Descriptive Statistics
      • Statistics in Action: Body Image Dissatisfaction: Real or Imagined?
      • Using Technology: MINITAB: Describing Data
      • TI-83/TI—84 Plus Graphing Calculator: Describing Data
  3. Probability
    • 3.1 Events, Sample Spaces, and Probability
    • 3.2 Unions and Intersections
    • 3.3 Complementary Events
    • 3.4 The Additive Rule and Mutually Exclusive Events
    • 3.5 Conditional Probability
    • 3.6 The Multiplicative Rule and Independent Events
      • Statistics in Action: Lotto Buster! Can You Improve Your Chance of Winning?
      • Using Technology: TI-83/TI-84 Plus Graphing Calculator: Combinations and Permutations
  4. Random Variables and Probability Distributions
    • 4.1 Two Types of Random Variables
    • 4.2 Probability Distributions for Discrete Random Variables
    • 4.3 The Binomial Random Variable
    • 4.4 Probability Distributions for Continuous Random Variables
    • 4.5 The Normal Distribution
    • 4.6 Descriptive Methods for Assessing Normality
    • 4.7 Approximating a Binomial Distribution with a Normal Distribution (Optional)
    • 4.8 Sampling Distributions
    • 4.9 The Sampling Distribution of x and the Central Limit Theorem
      • Statistics in Action: Super Weapons Development — Is the Hit Ratio Optimized?
      • Using Technology: MINITAB: Discrete Probabilities
  5. Inferences Based on a Single Sample
    • 5.1 Identifying and Estimating the Target Parameter
    • 5.2 Confidence Interval for a Population Mean: Normal (z) Statistic
    • 5.3 Confidence Interval for a Population Mean: Student’s t-Statistic
    • 5.4 Large-Sample Confidence Interval for a Population Proportion
    • 5.5 Determining the Sample Size
    • 5.6 Confidence Interval for a Population Variance (Optional)
      • Statistics in Action: Medicare Fraud Investigations
      • Using Technology: MINITAB: Confidence Intervals
  6. Inferences Based on a Single Sample
    • 6.1 The Elements of a Test of Hypothesis
    • 6.2 Formulating Hypotheses and Setting Up the Rejection Region
    • 6.3 Observed Significance Levels: p-values
    • 6.4 Test of Hypothesis about a Population Mean: Normal (z) Statistic
    • 6.5 Test of Hypothesis about a Population Mean: Student’s t-Statistic
    • 6.6 Large-Sample Test of Hypothesis about a Population Proportion
    • 6.7 Test of Hypothesis about a Population Variance (Optional)
    • 6.8 A Nonparametric Test about a Population Median (Optional)
      • Statistics in Action: Diary of a KLEENEX User How Many Tissues in a Box?
      • Using Technology: MINITAB: Tests of Hypotheses
      • TI-83/TI-84 Plus Graphing Calculator: Tests of Hypotheses
  7. Comparing Population Means
    • 7.1 Identifying the Target Parameter
    • 7.2 Comparing Two Population Means: Independent Sampling
    • 7.3 Comparing Two Population Means: Paired Difference Experiments
    • 7.4 Determining the Sample Size
    • 7.5 A Nonparametric Test for Comparing Two Populations: Independent Samples
    • 7.6 A Nonparametric Test for Comparing Two Populations: Paired Difference Experiment (Optional)
    • 7.7 Comparing Three or More Population Means: Analysis of Variance (Optional)
      • Statistics in Action: Zixlt Corp. vs. Visa USA Inc. — A Libel Case
      • Using Technology: MINITAB: Comparing Means
      • TI-83/TI-84 Plus Graphing Calculator: Comparing Means
  8. Comparing Population Proportions
    • 8.1 Comparing Two Population Proportions: Independent Sampling
    • 8.2 Determining Sample Size
    • 8.3 Testing Category Probabilities: Multinomial Experiment
    • 8.4 Testing Categorical Probabilities: Two-Way (Contingency) Table
  9. Simple Linear Regression
    • 9.1 Probabilistic Models
    • 9.2 Fitting the Model: The Least Squares Approach
    • 9.3 Model Assumptions
    • 9.4 Assessing the Utility of the Model: Making Inferences about the Slope β1
    • 9.5 The Coefficients of Correlation and Determination
    • 9.6 Using the Model for Estimation and Prediction
    • 9.7 A Complete Example
    • 9.8 A Nonparametric Test for Correlation (Optional)
      • Statistics in Action: Can “Dowsers” Really Detect Water?
      • Using Technology: MINITAB: Simple Linear Regression
      • TI-83/TI-84 Plus Graphing Calculator: Simple Linear Regression

Appendices

Short Answers to Selected Odd-Numbered Exercises

Index

Photo Credits

About our authors

Dr. Jim McClave is currently President and CEO of Info Tech, Inc., a statistical consulting and software development firm with an international clientele. He is also currently an Adjunct Professor of Statistics at the University of Florida, where he was a full-time member of the faculty for 20 years.

Dr. Terry Sincich obtained his PhD in Statistics from the University of Florida in 1980. He is an Associate Professor in the Information Systems & Decision Sciences Department at the University of South Florida in Tampa. Dr. Sincich is responsible for teaching basic statistics to all undergraduates, as well as advanced statistics to all doctoral candidates, in the College of Business Administration. He has published articles in such journals as the Journal of the American Statistical Association, International Journal of Forecasting, Academy of Management Journal, and Auditing: A Journal of Practice & Theory. Dr. Sincich is a co-author of the texts Statistics, Statistics for Business & Economics, Statistics for Engineering & the Sciences, and A Second Course in Statistics: Regression Analysis.

Need help? Get in touch

MyLab

Customize your course to teach your way. MyLab® is a flexible platform merging world-class content with dynamic study tools. It takes a personalized approach designed to ignite each student's unique potential. And, with the freedom it affords to adapt your pedagogy, you can reinforce select concepts and guide students to real results.

Pearson+

All in one place. Pearson+ offers instant access to eTextbooks, videos and study tools in one intuitive interface. Students choose how they learn best with enhanced search, audio and flashcards. The Pearson+ app lets them read where life takes them, no wi-fi needed. Students can access Pearson+ through a subscription or their MyLab or Mastering course.

Video
Play
Privacy and cookies
By watching, you agree Pearson can share your viewership data for marketing and analytics for one year, revocable by deleting your cookies.

Video transcript (PDF | 25KB) 

Empower your students, in class and beyond

Meet students where they are with MyLab®, and capture their attention in every lecture, activity, and assignment using immersive content, customized tools, and interactive learning experiences in your discipline.

Digital Learning NOW

Extend your professional development and meet your students where they are with free weekly Digital Learning NOW webinars. Attend live, watch on-demand, or listen at your leisure to expand your teaching strategies. Earn digital professional development badges for attending a live session.

Explore webinars