ABSTRACT
My aim in this chapter has been to provide at least a taste of the gravy that comes with absorbing the 5 things you need to know about statistics. The examples given in this chapter are all based on the idea of the correlation coefficient and the ways in which the properties of the correlation coefficient can be exploited so that we can understand basic anthropological questions. The questions that have been addressed range from medical and psychological anthropology (that is, what factors influence locus of control?); to general cultural evolutionary theory (what is the nature of sociocultural complexity?); and to cognitive anthropology (is there a cultural model of musical styles among U.S. undergraduates?). Numeric analyses enabled us to look at each of these questions in a nuanced way, and a way that leads to new discoveries and new directions in research. With respect to locus of control, it would appear that a cultural process—cultural consonance—mediates the expression of this psychological disposition. With respect to sociocultural complexity, a single dimension of complexity appears to be inadequate to account for cross-cultural variability. With respect to musical genres, students appear to employ a multifaceted and shared model in thinking about these styles. By employing numeric analysis, new insights are gained.
Again, this chapter gave you just a taste of the ways in which a basic statistical model—the correlation coefficient—can be adapted to address different questions. I strongly recommend that you consult Bernard (2011) and Handwerker and Borgatti (2014) for more examples.
