A variety of biological and social science data come in the form of cross-classified tables of counts, commonly referred to as contingency tables. Until recent years the statistical and computational techniques available for the analysis of cross-classified data were quite limited. This book presents some of the recent work on the statistical analysis of cross-classified data using longlinear models, especially in the multidimensional situation.

This book deals with the analysis of categorical data. Statistical models, especially log-linear models for contingency tables and logistic regression, are described and applied to real life data. Special emphasis is given to the use of graphical methods. The book is intended as a text for both undergraduate and graduate courses for statisticians, applied statisticians, social scientists, economists and epidemiologists. Many examples and exercises with solutions should help the reader to understand the material.

The aim of this book is to give an up to date account of the most commonly uses statisti cal models for categorical data. The emphasis is on the connection between theory and applications to real data sets. The book only covers models for categorical data. Various models for mixed continuous and categorical data are thus excluded. The book is written as a textbook, although many methods and results are quite recent. This should imply, that the book can be used for a graduate course in categorical data analysis. With this aim in mind chapters 3 to 12 are concluded with a set of exer cises. In many cases, the data sets are those data sets, which were not included in the examples of the book, although they at one point in time were regarded as potential can didates for an example. A certain amount of general knowledge of statistical theory is necessary to fully benefit from the book. A summary of the basic statistical concepts deemed necessary pre requisites is given in chapter 2. The mathematical level is only moderately high, but the account in chapter 3 of basic properties of exponential families and the parametric multinomial distribution is made as mathematical precise as possible without going into mathematical details and leaving out most proofs.

Featuring a practical approach with numerous examples, this book focuses on helping the reader develop a conceptual, rather than technical, understanding of categorical methods, making it a much more accessible text than others on the market. The authors cover common categorical analyses and emphasize specific research questions that can be addressed by each analytic procedure so that readers are able to address the research questions they wish to answer. To achieve this goal, the authors: Review the theoretical implications and assumptions underlying each of the procedures Present each concept in general terms and illustrate each with a practical example Demonstrate the analyses using SPSS and SAS and show the interpretation of the results provided by these programs. A "Look Ahead" section at the beginning of each chapter provides an overview of the material covered so that the reader knows what to expect. This is followed by one or more research questions that can be addressed using the procedure(s) covered in the chapter. A theoretical presentation of the material is provided and illustrated using realistic examples from the behavioral and social sciences. To further enhance accessibility, the new procedures introduced in the book are explicitly related to analytic procedures covered in earlier statistics courses, such as ANOVA and linear regression. Throughout each chapter the authors use practical examples to demonstrate how to obtain and interpret statistical output in both SPSS and SAS. Their emphasis on the relationship between the initial research question, the use of the software to carry out the analysis, and the interpretation of the output as it relates to the initial research question, allows readers to easily apply the material to their own research. The data sets for executing chapter examples using SAS Version 9.1.3 and/or IBM SPSS Version 18 are available on a book specific web site. These data sets and syntax allow readers to quickly run the programs and obtain the appropriate output. The book also includes both conceptual and analytic end-of-chapter exercises to assist instructors and students in evaluating the understanding of the material covered in each chapter. This book covers the most commonly used categorical data analysis procedures. It is written for those without an extensive mathematical background, and is ideal for graduate courses in categorical data analysis or cross-classified data analysis taught in departments of psychology, human development & family studies, sociology, education, and business. Researchers in these disciplines interested in applying these procedures to their own research will appreciate this book’s accessible approach.

A valuable new edition of a standard reference The use of statistical methods for categorical data has increased dramatically, particularly for applications in the biomedical and social sciences. An Introduction to Categorical Data Analysis, Third Edition summarizes these methods and shows readers how to use them using software. Readers will find a unified generalized linear models approach that connects logistic regression and loglinear models for discrete data with normal regression for continuous data. Adding to the value in the new edition is: • Illustrations of the use of R software to perform all the analyses in the book • A new chapter on alternative methods for categorical data, including smoothing and regularization methods (such as the lasso), classification methods such as linear discriminant analysis and classification trees, and cluster analysis • New sections in many chapters introducing the Bayesian approach for the methods of that chapter • More than 70 analyses of data sets to illustrate application of the methods, and about 200 exercises, many containing other data sets • An appendix showing how to use SAS, Stata, and SPSS, and an appendix with short solutions to most odd-numbered exercises Written in an applied, nontechnical style, this book illustrates the methods using a wide variety of real data, including medical clinical trials, environmental questions, drug use by teenagers, horseshoe crab mating, basketball shooting, correlates of happiness, and much more. An Introduction to Categorical Data Analysis, Third Edition is an invaluable tool for statisticians and biostatisticians as well as methodologists in the social and behavioral sciences, medicine and public health, marketing, education, and the biological and agricultural sciences.