SOCI 306/326 Quantitative Methods in Social Research

Populations and samples; frequency tables and graphs; measures of central tendency (mode, median, mean); describing the variability of distributions; Introduction to inference: the normal Curve; distribution of sampling means; standard error of estimates; Inference with the Normal Curve: hypothesis testing and interval estimation; confidence interval using the normal distribution; hypothesis testing with the normal curve; Inference with the ‘t’ Distribution: the ‘ts’ distribution and unbiased estimates; relationship between the normal and ‘t’ distribution; degrees of freedom when estimating parameters; when to use the ‘t’ distribution; confidence interval using the ‘t’ distribution; Inference with the Chi-Square Distribution: the chi-square test for goodness of 329 fit; the chi-square test for independence; Predictive Techniques: the regression model; criterion of best fit; calculating the slope; calculating the Y intercept; estimating the regression line; using the regression equation for prediction; Correlation: correlation as a descriptive technique; correlation as an inferential statistics.