Pt1420 Unit 3 Assignment

FDR (1932), once said, “we have nothing to fear but fear itself”. Certainly, he wasn’t referring to descriptive or inferential statistics, yet it’s safe to say that in some cases fear of a subject is often more difficult to overcome than the subject itself. my personal fear and apprehension related to statistics and mathematics in general are largely a result of social identity which in the past has led to anxiety and avoidance of the topic.

Thus far the IBM SPSS operating system is similar in functionality to programs such as Excel. The similarity in operating systems offers an air of continuity and aids in learning process as well as one’s ability to apply advanced concepts into a practicable system that delivers numerical and graphical illustrations of statistical problems. The accompanying book, Using SPSS for Windows and Macintosh: Analyzing and Understanding Data, is comprise of short chapters, which presents the material in a step-by-step manual format. most notable concepts into simple terms that even a novice such as myself can grasp to some degree (Green & Salkind, 2013).
My previous perception of statistics was viewed through the lens of someone who on some level believe that she was mathematically disinclined.
Prior to assessing the curriculum for this course I anticipated the course would validate those perceptions and fears in the form of high level formulaic equations, and unfathomable theorems. To the contrary, statistics in part presents as a mechanism for analyzing a small sample of observations or a population in order to make sense of a broader slice of a particular group, population or system through the computation and numerical data. As comically articulated by Standard Deviants’ (n.d)., statistics appears to be more akin to a language test, as opposed to the structure, mythology and outcomes of a traditional math
course.

Several instances of misused or a misunderstanding of statistics spring to mind as I reflect on my career. One case in particular arose while employed in the mental health facility for adults. Due to a state mandate, a third party organization was invited in to assess whether residents within the population would be viable for independent living. If the accessor approved of discharge, the organization was required to comply. Statistics, were used by the assessors to determine the probabilities of a successful transition upon discharge from the facility. Often, the assessors inferred and made judgements based on statistical data, about how an individual might think, respond or behave under independent living conditions. The majority of individuals approved for discharge, were unsuccessful. Outcomes frequently included in reentry, homelessness, mental declines and incarceration. Even though statistics based on general linear models have practical applications in program outcome evaluation; in the above mentioned scenario, misunderstanding of the data or a failure to account for potential covariant lead to poor outcomes (Tromkin, W, 2006).