One of the most commonly used statistical techniques is thecomparison of two means, also known as the t-test (for this you need quantitative variables, orinterval level data to compare across two categories- find it on the Road Map!).

The book spends a lot of time going over formulas for independent vs. paired samples. Don't focus on this. If in doubt, use the independent unequal variance formula. (It is the most conservative; that means if you can prove it with this formula, you can prove it with the others.)

T-tests (which is different from TDIST) are commonly used because they are the appropriate statistic for a comparison group or random assignment study (compare the mean from the treatment group to that of the control group).

If you arecomparing two ordinal level variables,use aChi-squareTest. You might want to know if there is any relationship between being a NY Jets fan, categorized on a continuum from "not at all; green makes me sick", "am rooting for them now, I've seen the light (at the end of the tunnel?)", "rabid", "lifer" -- and whether or not you experience deep heartache, from "thankfully never -- I have no heart", "what is this new feeling and will it ever go away?", "every Sunday, unless they play another night", "every day of my life".

Can you cite a t-testor Chi-square resultfrom a study, and describe it's statistical significance (i.e., its p-value), and its practical significance?

Alternatively, take a difference of means or Chi-squareproblemfrom the book and show us how to do it, and how to interpret it.Ask questions about what is confusing.