The MacMillan Company, 1964. - 440 Pages.
This general course in elementary statistics aims to do for the social world and human relations something similar to what the elementary laboratory courses in the natural sciences do for the physical world and man's relations to it.
Elementary instruction in the natural sciences has not been intended for only the scientifically minded students, but for all students. The idea has not been to make scientists of everyone ; no one expects the average citizen to apply a laboratory test to each aspirin tablet or vitamin capsule before he or she swallows it. Nevertheless, everyone needs to have some familiarity with the laws of nature and with the experimental method of improving human knowledge of the natural world and man's relations to that world. Similarly, the purpose in teaching elementary statistics is not to make statisticians of everyone, but to help give everyone some familiarity with an increasingly important method for improving human knowledge of the world in which we live and of our relationships in and to that world. If there is anyone who believes it is not necessary to be able to think in terms of statistical data and elementary statistical concepts, perhaps it will be sufficient to cite for him just one example of the importance of statistics: Many millions of citizens in this country today have their wages, the basis for the livelihood of themselves and their families, tied to the govement cost-of-living indexes. Because of the significance of statistics for all, this course in the elements of the subject is not designed for only mathematically gifted students, but for all young people.
This general course in elementary statistics aims to do for the social world and human relations something similar to what the elementary laboratory courses in the natural sciences do for the physical world and man's relations to it.
Elementary instruction in the natural sciences has not been intended for only the scientifically minded students, but for all students. The idea has not been to make scientists of everyone ; no one expects the average citizen to apply a laboratory test to each aspirin tablet or vitamin capsule before he or she swallows it. Nevertheless, everyone needs to have some familiarity with the laws of nature and with the experimental method of improving human knowledge of the natural world and man's relations to that world. Similarly, the purpose in teaching elementary statistics is not to make statisticians of everyone, but to help give everyone some familiarity with an increasingly important method for improving human knowledge of the world in which we live and of our relationships in and to that world. If there is anyone who believes it is not necessary to be able to think in terms of statistical data and elementary statistical concepts, perhaps it will be sufficient to cite for him just one example of the importance of statistics: Many millions of citizens in this country today have their wages, the basis for the livelihood of themselves and their families, tied to the govement cost-of-living indexes. Because of the significance of statistics for all, this course in the elements of the subject is not designed for only mathematically gifted students, but for all young people.