Psyc 201: Statistics with SPSS Dr. Katharine Blackwell Fall 2017: Tuesday & Thursday 09:30 10:50

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1 Psyc 201: Statistics with SPSS What Is This Class About? Claims about human behavior, from recommendations for what mental health treatments you should pursue to explanations about why cops shoot some suspects more often, are based on experiments and statistical analysis. But how do psychologists get from gathering data in an experiment to these claims and recommendations about what people should do? Advanced statistics course covering data management; choosing which statistical analyses to use when investigating different kinds of questions; conducting analyses using SPSS; and interpreting results to draw conclusions about human behavior. Statistical analyses covered will include t- tests, one-way and two-way analysis of variance, correlation, and chi-square, with an emphasis on effect sizes and practical significance. 3 semester hours. What Supplies Will I Need? Three resources will be very important to your success in this class: The textbooks are excellent (and affordable) reference material, which will be invaluable as you start trying to choose and conduct statistical analyses on your own. One describes the logical and mathematical foundations of statistics, while the other instructs on how to conduct statistical analyses in SPSS. o Spatz, C. Exploring Statistics: Tales of Distribution, 11 th Edition. Outcrop Publishers. o Wilson-Doenges, G. SPSS for Research Methods: A Basic Guide W.W. Norton & Co. The course website will contain video lessons on the use of Excel and SPSS, data sets used for practice assignments, and the materials for all exams. You will need a password to access videos and data files, provided on the first day of class. o Most assignments, including the skill checks, will require access to a Salem computer with SPSS installed. Computers in the Science and Main Hall computer labs have SPSS access. How Do I Get in Touch with My Professor? Office: Science 300 Office hours: Monday & Thursday 11-12, Tuesday 3-4 Office phone: (336) For scheduling meetings only, katharine.blackwell@salem.edu. s are checked during business hours (9 5 weekdays); request meetings 48 hours in advance. 1

2 Psyc 201: Statistics with SPSS What Will I Learn? You will acquire proficiency skills fundamental to behavioral statistics: 1. Select appropriate statistical measures i Select best measure of central tendency. ii Select best relationship analysis. iii Select best test for comparing for group means. iv Select follow-up tests when needed (for 3+ levels or interactions) 2. Manage and analyze data in Excel i Organize and annotate data in Excel ii Use formulas to understand and look at data in new ways iii Analyze central tendency and variability (including z-scores) iv Analyze mean comparisons with 2 groups including effect size 3. Manage data and analyze descriptive statistics in SPSS i Organize and annotate data and output files ii Use computations to recode or create new variables. iii Use selective tests to consider certain participants iv Analyze central tendency and variability (including z-scores) 4. Analyze inferential statistics in SPSS i Analyze linear relationships (correlation) ii Analyze group frequency differences (chi square) iii Analyze mean comparisons with 1 or 2 groups (t-tests) including effect size iv Analyze mean comparisons for 3+ groups (one-way ANOVA) v Analyze mean comparisons with two IVs (two-way ANOVA) 5. Write results of statistical analysis i Use appropriate, formatted descriptive statistics with meaningful units ii Write a directional hypothesis and appropriate null hypothesis. iii Place appropriate, formatted inferential statistics in sentence. iv Write a results statement in accurate real-world terms. v Frame results statement based on statistical significance levels. 6. Interpret results i Interpret variability (including z-scores) in real-world terms ii Interpret confidence intervals in real-world terms iii Interpret the risk of errors in decisions (including correlation causality) iv Interpret effect sizes in real-world terms 7. Visually depict data i Use appropriate chart style with appropriate labels and legend ii Indicate central tendency and variability fairly (with appropriate scales) iii Write a concise, informative caption to explain chart iv Indicate statistical significance of relevant comparisons S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 Skill 2

3 How Will the Professor Decide What I Have Learned? Psyc 201: Statistics with SPSS Your proficiency at the skills central to this course will be assessed through five statistical analysis skills checks. There will be five (5) skill checks over the course of the semester. Skill checks will be completed outside of class meetings, independently. While completing skill checks you may consult your SPSS for Research Methods: A Basic Guide textbook, and the reference guide provided by your professor. Any notes you have written directly on either of these resources are fine, but no external notes, pieces of paper, sticky notes attached to them, index cards, etc. may be used. Your answers to the skill checks will be assessed for how they demonstrate each statistical skill (listed on the previous page). Each skill will be marked on a scale of 0 to 5: Score Description Skill is being implemented with expertise, indicating that the student is prepared for independent analysis of new (real) data sets. Skill is being implemented consistently and accurately, with some need for additional refinement to correct minor errors or awkwardness. Skill is being implemented with some inconsistencies or moderate errors, suggesting the need for additional guided practice Skill is developing with some major gaps or errors in implementation, suggesting the need for additional instruction in statistical analysis. 1 Skill is attempted but with such major errors that it cannot be assessed fully. 0 Skill is not demonstrated. Your final grade for the course will be determined by your most recent demonstration of skills. For the most part, this will be your skills on the final skill check, but some skills will be based on previous skill checks to keep the final a manageable length. To earn each letter grade, your final demonstration of skills must be: Grade Average of Skill Scores And A 4.0 no skills marked 0-2 A- 3.7 no skills marked 0-2 B+ 3.7 no skills marked 0 or 1 B 3.5 no skills marked 0-2 B- 3.3 no skills marked 0-2 C+ 3.3 no skills marked 0 or 1 C 3.0 C- 2.7 D+ 2.5 D 2.3 D

4 Psyc 201: Statistics with SPSS To develop your statistics skills, before each scheduled class you will complete two kinds of assignments: Concept Preparation. Readings from Spatz's Exploring Statistics: Tales of Distributions and online videos explaining statistics concepts, with questions to check and apply your understanding. Technology Preparation. Readings from SPSS for Research Methods and online videos demonstrating Excel and SPSS skills. During each scheduled class meeting, you will apply your statistical analysis skills: Practice Sets. A data set and accompanying set of statistical analysis questions, to be analyzed in either Excel or SPSS and reported in APA statistical format. Completing the Concept Preparation activities and Practice Sets demonstrate the skills you are developing. To reflect this, you will earn 0.5 skill points for each Concept Preparation set and each Practice Set you complete on its assigned day. Each Concept Preparation and Practice Set will indicate which skill will be credited. These skill points will be added to the score earned on the skill check; for example, if a student earns a 1 on a given skill, but had completed both the Concept Preparation and Practice set for the that skill, her score will be raised to a 2. No points will be earned for concept preparation or practice sets submitted after the class meeting when they are scheduled. If you will be absent from class, you can earn the skill points by completing your preparation and practice set ahead of time and submitting them before class begins. When Is It Due? Skills Checks including the final - will be made available on the course website on at noon, and must be submitted by noon on the assigned day. #1 Calculating and Interpreting Descriptive Statistics in Excel: Thurs. Sept 14 th Monday Sept 18 th #2 Calculating and Interpreting Descriptive Statistics in SPSS: Tues. Oct 3 rd Friday October 6 th #3 Simple Hypothesis Testing: Thursday October 26 th Monday October 30 th #4 Comparing Group Means: Thurs. November 16 th Monday November 20 th #5 Interactions between Multiple Independent Variables: Thurs. Dec 7 th Monday December 11 th 4

5 What Should My Assignments Look Like? Psyc 201: Statistics with SPSS Practice Sets and Concept Preparation will be typed in double-spaced 12 point Times New Roman font. All documents must be placed in the Google Drive folder the instructor will share with you during the first week of class, named with the Lesson Number and the type of assignment (e.g., 02_Concepts, or 07_Practice). Skills Checks will consist of four files, submitted in a new sub-folder in your Google Drive shared folder: The typed answers to questions, typed in double-spaced 12 point Times New Roman font as a Google Doc. The Excel file, named LastName201Excel.xlsx The SPSS data file, named LastName201Data.sav The SPSS output file, named LastName201Output.spv It is very important that your data file be Excel, not Google Sheets. That ensures there is no confusion about how the information you type is interpreted and functions. The Honor Tradition is an integral aspect of Salem college, and students are expected to act with honor at all times in the course. This includes being respectful of your classmates and your professor during class sessions, and working with integrity on your assignments outside of class. Honor with your written work. Whenever you put your name on an assignment, you are saying that you alone are responsible for the content both the ideas and the words used to describe them unless you indicate otherwise with a citation. Even then, a citation gives credit for the idea, not the words used to describe it; you are claiming the words as your own unless they are in quotation marks. If those words are not your own, and are not in quotation marks, then they are plagiarized. This is true for words that come from Wikipedia, the textbook, your friends, or previous papers you wrote for any class. You are responsible for knowing what counts as plagiarism, and avoiding it. Even one sentence of unintentional plagiarism, which comes from forgetting to identify sources as you take notes, or patchwork plagiarism, which comes from trying to paraphrase by changing or moving a few words, will be treated as plagiarism. Honor with your tests. Whenever you complete a test, you are expected to use only whatever resources the professor explicitly said were allowed. Using any other resources, including information from other students, breaks the integrity of the test. Sharing information with other students also hurts the integrity of the test, and will be treated the same as using unauthorized resources yourself, even if you didn t benefit on your own test. You should not discuss the test, even how long it took, with other students in the course, or where you might be overheard by other students, until the professor tells you it is okay. The first time a student breaks the Honor Code by plagiarizing, using another person s artwork without attribution, using unauthorized resources on a test, or sharing information about a test, her final grade will be reduced one full letter grade, and she may be reported to the Honor Council at the professor s discretion. The second time a student breaks the Honor Code in any way, she will receive a 0 (F) for the course and will be reported to the Honor Council. 5

6 What If I Have Special Circumstances? Psyc 201: Statistics with SPSS 1) If you qualify for accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), you must bring your accommodations letter and meet with me before Wednesday, September 6 th to discuss how any accommodations might apply to this course. 2) If you have a standing Honor Sanction that prohibits your taking self-scheduled final exams in Bryant Hall this semester, you must meet with me before Wednesday, September 6 th to make alternate arrangements for your Skill Checks. 3) If you experience a severe injury during the semester or have an ongoing medical diagnosis that would result in missing a Skill Check or two weeks of class (4 meetings) you can request a Syllabus Exception Agreement to modify assignment deadlines. To arrange a Syllabus Exception Agreement, you must notify the Dean of Undergraduate Studies (Dean Vinson) within a week of your situation arising, and provide him with whatever documentation or information he requires. The Dean of Undergraduate Studies will inform your professors that you will be requesting accommodations. Following this notice, you will meet with me individually to discuss what reasonable exceptions to the syllabus can be made. As a general rule, with a Syllabus Exception Agreement: You will still be responsible for all material covered in the class meetings you missed, and must get this information from other students. Assignment due dates may be adjusted to replace any days lost due to your illness or situation (e.g., extended by the number of days you spent in the hospital). Whatever adjustments are made, there will be no substantial change to the structure or content requirements of the course. For example, an oral presentation might be given over Skype, but will not be replaced with a written assignment. You may be asked to complete additional activities, such as meeting with me during the term or making use of academic support services. In the event that you are unable to complete the necessary coursework before end of semester grades are due, you will be given an Incomplete for the course, with a deadline for all work at least 1 week before the deadline for Incomplete replacement grades the following semester. Please note that I am not available to meet, to provide feedback, or to grade assignments between academic terms. 6

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1 State University of New York at Buffalo INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICS PSC 408 Fall 2015 M,W,F 1-1:50 NSC 210 Dr. Michelle Benson mbenson2@buffalo.edu Office: 513 Park Hall Office Hours: Mon & Fri 10:30-12:30