Statistical Analysis in Sociology: The New Positivist Approach

Abstract

Since its establishment, sociology has relied on statistical tests to process and analyze data, and these tests underwent great developments due to the statistical revolution in the field of data analysis in the twentieth century. The works of English statisticians such as Francis Galton, Karl Pearson, and Ronald Fisher had a significant impact on the trend of neo-positivism in sociology by which quantitative data analysis came to the fore, especially from 1920 to 1960. Thereafter, new statistical tests were developed to study relationships via structural models proposed based on theoretical and applied research, notably the contributions of Herbert Simon, Paul Lazarsfeld, Samuel Coleman, Dudley Duncan, and others to mathematical sociology.