How is mathematicsused in
psychology?
Like many other fields in the social sci-
ences, psychology uses a great deal of
mathematical statistics. Many psycholo-
gists, especially those in research, use the
scientific method to collect and analyze
data, then summarize the data using
tables, diagrams, and descriptive statis-
tics. Statistics and general mathematics
are everywhere, from the nature of mea-
surement to the different types of vari-
ables and forms of scales (ratio, interval,
ordinal, and nominal) used to measure a
range of psychological phenomena.
In fact, statistics plays a major role in
the manual used as a guide for psychi-
atric diagnosis: Called the Diagnostic and
Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
(or DSM), it is published by the American
Psychiatric Association. The DSM con-
tains standard definitions of psychological disorders, including mental illness, devel-
opmental disorders, and some other neurological conditions, as well as plenty of sta-
tistics concerning those disorders.
What are some types of mathused in the legal profession?
Lawyers—from civil to criminal—need to know mathematics for a number of reasons.
For example, when an attorney writes a brief for a case, he or she structures his or her
argument like a geometric proof, which is similar to proving theorems by presenting
all the relevant facts and laws. Statistics and accounting are valuable, too, because
many times large amounts of money are involved in estate suits or other such cases.
Knowledge of percentages, interest, and so on are needed, as well, to determine fair
settlements for all the parties involved. Lawyers even have to delve into the field of
logic, especially symbolic logic that helps them interpret bad arguments and fallacies
in the courtroom.
How do you find statisticsabout criminal justice?
One of the best places to find statistics about criminal justice is the Bureau of Justice
Statistics. The Bureau offers a multitude of useful crime statistics, including criminal
victimization, crime characteristics, victim characteristics, and incident-based statis- 393
MATH IN THE HUMANITIES
Statistics plays a big role in professions besides busi-
ness and engineering. Psychologists and psychia-
trists, for instance, use statistics to assist them with
diagnoses. Taxi/Getty Images.