This comprehensive text introduces readers to the most commonly used multivariate techniques at an introductory, non-technical level. By focusing on the fundamentals, readers are better prepared for more advanced applied pursuits, particularly on topics that are most critical to the behavioral, social, and educational sciences. Analogies between the already familiar univariate statistics and multivariate statistics are emphasized throughout. The authors examine in detail how each multivariate technique can be implemented using SPSS and SAS and Mplus in the book’s later chapters. Important assumptions are discussed along the way along with tips for how to deal with pitfalls the reader may encounter. Mathematical formulas are used only in their definitional meaning rather than as elements of formal proofs.
A book specific website - www.psypress.com/applied-multivariate-analysis - provides files with all of the data used in the text so readers can replicate the results. The Appendix explains the data files and its variables. The software code (for SAS and Mplus) and the menu option selections for SPSS are also discussed in the book. The book is distinguished by its use of latent variable modeling to address multivariate questions specific to behavioral and social scientists including missing data analysis and longitudinal data modeling.
Ideal for graduate and advanced undergraduate students in the behavioral, social, and educational sciences, this book will also appeal to researchers in these disciplines who have limited familiarity with multivariate statistics. Recommended prerequisites include an introductory statistics course with exposure to regression analysis and some familiarity with SPSS and SAS.
"This text is very well written and makes important connections between univariate and multivariate procedures..[it] allows readers to understand progressive developments that build on previously established foundations... [and] provides a good conceptual understanding of multivariate procedures." Tim Konold, University of Virginia, USA
"The writing style...is characterized by simplicity and clarity in explaining complex concepts... the main readers will be ... postgraduate students in quantitative sciences...[and] researchers in engineering, commerce, medicine, or applied science who... desperately want to get meaningful answers to statistical inference questions using their own data sets." Spiridon Penev, University of New South Wales, Australia
"I particularly enjoyed the examples...[they] clearly illustrate the points the authors were trying to convey...the chapter on ANCOVA was particularly well-written and covered the logic (which is confusing in some texts) of ANCOVA in a clear manner that was easy to follow." Douglas Steinley, University of Missouri, USA
