Q PSY 2100-001 Statistical Methods/Fall 2015 9:30-10:45am M/W University Hall 5150 F Instructor Monica (Rohrabaugh) Lawson, M.A. Office: University Hall 1900D Phone: (419)530-2338 Email: Monica.Rohrabaugh@rockets.utoledo.edu Office Hours: Tuesdays 10:45-12:00 and by appointment Statistics Course Information Required Text & Materials: Jackson, S. L. (2014). Statistics Plain and Simple (3rd ed.). Cengage Learning. calculator (non-scientific, not on your phone) necessary tools for taking notes during lecture The textbook can be purchased directly from Cengage here: goo.glikoxdi7 O Perquisites: Minimum grade of C- or better in Math 1320 (College Algebra) or higher math. See me during the first week of classes if you are unsure whether you have the appropriate background. Additionally, this course (PSY 2100) is a prerequisite for research methods (PSY 3100), a department required WAC course. A passing grade of C- or better in this course must be earned in order to register for research methods. Course Description: This course provides a basic understanding of the statistics used most commonly by social scientists. Topics to be covered include summarizing data with graphs and numbers, generalizing from samples to a population, and determining the effect of one variable on another. The course will also allow you to understand research reports in social science publications and in the press. We will particularly emphasize the application of statistics and interpreting the statistics (rather than the mathematical proofs underlying these statistical methods). Even students who have math anxiety can excel in this class if they are willing to keep up with the work. By the end of this class, you should be able to: 1. summarize and organize data, 2. select and calculate an appropriate statistic to decide whether a variable reliably affects another variable, or whether such findings are driven by chance, 3. critically evaluate research findings in scientific journals and in the media, 4. possess a basic understanding of statistics that can be built upon in future research design and statistics classes. My Goal As your instructor, my goal is to make statistics accessible, inviting, and--fun! After this course, my hopes is that you will become a critical consumer of research by developing the ability to think about "what occurs behind the scene" rather than passively accepting all statistics that pop up around you. I love statistics and its applications in my daily life. I look forward to sharing my passion with you and hope to pass it on. O
Course Requirements Exams There will be 4 regular exams during the semester and 1 final. Exams will be comprised of multiple choice questions, short essay questions, and hand calculations. All examinations, expect for the first one, will include review questions from previous chapters and exams. In statistics, the concepts build upon themselves. Practice and continual review of statistical concepts is essential for long-term memory consolidation and success on the final exam. A quick review should help you prepare for review questions on the exams. I recommend reviewing old material throughout the semester, focusing on the key concepts and the connections between old and new material. Exams should not be missed, but exams will be rescheduled if the student has a legitimate, universitysanctioned reason for missing an exam. If you anticipate that you must miss an exam (e.g., religious holiday, participation in an athletic event), contact me via email at least one week prior to the exam. If you are unable to take an examination on time due to illness or emergency, notify me before the examination is scheduled to begin (prior to 9:20 on testing day) by sending me an email or calling my office phone. Be prepared to take the make-up exam at the earliest possible date. Make up examinations will not be given without proper documentation of absence (e.g., doctors note). Homework Assignments Practice is essential for success in this course. There will be 10 homework assignments to solidify your understanding of the course material. Assignments are worth 12 points each. In most cases, hard copies of the assignments will be distributed on Wednesday and due on Monday of the following week. However, pay attention to your syllabus as there are some exceptions. Assignments will be collected at the beginning of the class. Assignments turned in after the initial collection or after class are considered late. Three points will be deducted for each class period the assignment is late. Reading Quizzes There will be 5 reading quizzes during the semester. Each quiz is worth 6 points. Quizzes may or may not be announced in class ahead of time. Reading quizzes are design to cover the main ideas presented in the textbook chapter for which we are preparing to discuss in lecture. All quizzes are to be completed by each student without help from another person. Students are not allowed to use their textbook, a fellow student's notes, or the internet when taking quizzes. However, I will allow students to use their written or typed notes from readings of the chapter. If using types notes, they must be printed prior to 9:25 as to not distract others. All typed notes will be checked to make sure they do not contain resources not permitted on the exam (e.g., photographs of book pages, screen shots of online resources, powerpoint slides). Notes should include ideas and concepts presented in class and in the text, in your own words. All quizzes will occur at the beginning of class and will be timed. You must be present on the day of the quiz. Contact me via email or phone before class if you will be absent due to an illness or emergency and would like the oppommity to receive a makeup reading quiz (in the event that there was a quiz given on that particular day). Class Labs There will be 3 labs during the semester. The class labs allow students to work on the concepts we are studying. Depending on the activity, students might work in small groups, as a class, or as an individual. When working in small groups or as individuals, I will monitor each student's lab participation and be available to answer questions. Actively working on the lab and asking questions related to statistical concepts earn points. Points will be deducted for working on material not related to the activity and leaving class early. You must be in class on lab days to be eligible for points.
Course Evaluation Grading Scale Each assignment will contribute toward your final grade as follows: Assignment 4 Semester Exams - 75 points each 1 Final Exam- 120 points 10 Homework Assignments - 12 points each 5 Reading Quizzes - 6 points each 3 Class Labs - 10 points each Total Points Possible 300 120 120 30 30 600 % of Total Grade 5O% 20% 20% 5% 5% 100% You will receive the grade you earned. To be fair to all students, I follow proper rounding techniques (see below). Grade Percent Points Earned Grade Percent Points Earned A 92.50-100.00% 555 C 72.50-77.49% 435 A- 90.00-92.49% 540 C- 70.00-72.49% 420 B+ 87.50-89.99% 525 D+ 67.50-69.99% 405 B 82.50-87.49% 495 D 62.50-67.49% 375 B- 80.00-82.49% 480 D- 60.00-62.49% 360 C+ 77.50-79.99% 465 F 59.99 and below Grading Policies Students who drop this course after the end of the drop period will earn a W. Failure to complete assignments will be reported to the registrar and such non-attendance may affect your financial aid. You are responsible for keeping track of your progress in this course. If you would like to check your points total to the grade book, please email me and I will forward you a grade report via your university email account. University of Toledo Policies Students with Disabilities Reasonable accommodations will be made for anyone with a disability that may require some modification of seating, testing, or other class requirements. Students must contact the Student Disability Services for an evaluation and form specifying what course accommodations are judged reasonable for that student. Please contact me after class or during office hours so that appropriate arrangements may be made. Student Disability Services Campus Address: Rocket Hall 1820 Phone: (419)530-4981 Web: https://www.utoledo.edu/offices/student-disability-services/
Academic Integrity (University of Toledo Policy) Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Among the aims of education are the acquisition of knowledge and development of the skills necessary for success in any profession. Activities inconsistent with these aims will not be permitted. Students are responsible for knowing what constitutes academic dishonesty. If students are uncertain about what constitutes plagiarism or cheating they should seek the instructor's advice. Examples of academic dishonesty include, but are not limited to: Plagiarizing or representing the words, ideas or information of another person as one's own and not offering proper documentation; Giving or receiving, prior to an examination, any unauthorized information concerning the content of that examination; o Referring to or displaying any unauthorized materials inside or outside of the examination room during the course of an examination; Communicating during an examination in any manner with any unauthorized person concerning the examination or any part of it; Giving or receiving substantive aid during the course of an examination; Commencing an examination before the stipulated time or continuing to work on an examination after the announced conclusion of the examination period; o Taking, converting, concealing, defacing, damaging or destroying any property related to the preparation or completion of assignments, research or examination; Submitting the same written work to fulfill the requirements for more than one course. While academic integrity is particularly the responsibility of the student, the faculty members also have a responsibility. Assignments and tests should be constructed and proctored so as to discourage academic dishonesty. Faculty members are expected to inform their students explicitly as to what materials and procedures are authorized for use in the preparation of assignments or in examinations (e.g., the use of calculator, computer, text materials, etc.). Should cases of academic dishonesty be found among students, the instructor may choose to counsel the student, or the following sanctions may be imposed: The student may be assigned an F for the work in question. The student may be assigned an F for the course. In this case the instructor should inform the Dean and the student of this action. The Dean will make certain that the student receives the F grade and is not permitted to withdraw from the course. The student may be placed on probation or suspended for some definite period of time, dismissed or expelled by the Dean if either the seriousness of the offense or a record of repeated offenses warrants it. A notation that such a sanction has been imposed will be made part of the student's permanent record. It is expected that the Dean will consult with the instructor and the student in making such a judgment, and that the Dean will notify the student of the sanction imposed and of the appeals procedure. A student found to be academically dishonest by a faculty member may appeal according to procedures approved by the respective colleges. The procedures for making a final appeal to the Student Grievance Committee may be found in the Student Handbook. Online Tutorial: I have a zero tolerance for academic dishonesty. Ignorance of University policies is not an excuse for academic dishonesty. Part of your first assignment in this class will be to complete a webbased tutorial on plagiarism. The tutorial can be found by copy and pasting the following web-link into your internet browser: Link: ÿ://www.lib.usm.edu/leÿÿiarismmtorial.php_
5 How to Succeed in this Course I have seen first-hand that many students dread this statistics requirement. Many wonder why a statistics class is necessary for psychology majors. Others think back to math courses with considerable anxiety. I want you to know that I am aware that many students are nervous about this class and, above all, I want to help you succeed in this course. Moreover, I will do my best throughout the semester to convince you that it is quite natural for psychology and statistics to exist together. The course is designed based on research concerning conditions for optimal learning. My true goal for you is that you learn the material rather than earn a grade. Here are some general strategies to consider when going through the course: Attend Class Attending class is critical for success in this course. Research has shown that one of the best predictors of grades in courses is class attendance, and even the brightest students gain more insight by attending classes regularly. TNs is especially important in a class like statistics, as it is helpful to consume information multiple times and in a number of different formats (e.g., reading, lectures). There will be some course material presented in class that does not appear in the book; thus, you will need to attend to get all the information covered on exams. Moreover, attendance is necessary for earning points on many components of the course (e.g., reading quizzes, examinations, labs). Readÿ Study, and Take Notes Actively Research shows that many individuals read and write passively, that is, without thinking about the meaning of what they are covering. In reading and studying textbook-type material, everyone (professors included) must read actively and as a result somewhat slowly. Passively writing down what is on the overhead screen or what is discussed in class without thinking about it will not help you learn or understand the material. There will be homework and exam questions that require you to make :connections between various concepts to encourage active thinking about the material. Additionally, notes :are allowed for reading quizzes, but only if the notes are written in your own words. Writing in your own facilitate active processing of the information. PowerPoint presentations will not be made students.!summaries and Section Headings Before and While You Read iiÿd headings help you mentally organize what you read. The authors did not just throw a an organized framework of ideas and information. seek:to discover and understand their organization. Research shows that information is hen it is part of an organized mental framework. Similarly, reading the assigned chapter h.e!p you to mentally organize lecture material into the framework established from deigned to encourage this process. shows that students greatly underestimate the effort and time it takes to do a quality and complex material that is part of most courses. This course will take work. At demanding and it will become frustrating. I am here to help you, but I can't do agree that for a typical three-credit semester-long course, spending of class working on learning is the norm for reasonable achievement. quality time. If you find that you are spending countless hours do not understand the material, please come and see me to discuss studying of the material.
6 Do the Homework Assignments and In Class Labs In order to facilitate your mastery of basic statistics, I have included homework assignments and in class labs (in addition to the 5 exams). We will also work through problems as a class on lecture days. The purpose of the assignments and in class labs is three-fold: 1) they allow you more opportunities to earn points in the course, 2) they will give you critical practice for building your understanding of the material for exams and facilitate your use/retention of the information, and 3) they allow the opportunity to receive individual feedback from me. I will do my best to give the class feedback in a timely fashion. Keep up with Class Material and Ask Questions There is a large amount of information to learn in this course, and most of the new material builds upon previously-learned material. Therefore, if you fall behind in the readings or don't understand a key concept, this will severely hurt your progress in the course. So keep up with the readings and ask questions when things are unclear. The review questions on the examinations and final are designed to encourage students to continuously review old information for long term memory consolidation. Student Responsibilities In order to make the most out of our class time together and to encourage optimal learning, students are expected to: read the assigned readings before each class period o turn in assignments on time at the start of class (9:30) actively contribute to the classroom environment by participating in discussion and taking notes act in a respectful and non-distracting manner by not using the computer (unless explicitly instructed), the printer (once class starts at 9:30), your phone, or engaging in other behaviors that can be distracting to myself and your classmates. This includes arriving to class late and leaving early.
7 Tentative Schedule.0 1 Aug 24 Course Preview & Introduction Ch. 1 (pp. 1-12) Aug 26 Getting Started Ch. 1 (pp. 13-18) 2 Aug 31 Descriptive Statistics I Ch. 2 (pp. 25-38) Assignment 1 Due Sep 2 Measure of Variability Ch. 3 (pp. 70-80) 3 Sep 7 No class--labor Day Sep 9 Measure of Variability 4 Sep 14 Standardized z Scores Ch. 3 (pp. 82-92) Assignment 2 Due Sep 17 Standardized z Scores lab 5 Sep 21 Exam 1 Sep 23 Probability Ch. 4 (pp.111-123) 6 Sep 28 Probability & Samples Assignment 3 Due Sep 30 Hypothesis Testing Basics Ch. 4(pp.125-132) 7 Oct 5 No class-fall break Oct 7 The Single-sample z Test Ch. 5 (pp.140-153) Assignment 4 Due* 8 Oct 12 Exam 2 Oct 14 The Single-sample t Test Ch. 5 (pp.155-162) 9 Oct 19 Independent samples t test Ch. 6 (pp. 177-185) Assignment 5 Due Oct 21 Independent samples t test 10 Oct 26 Dependent samples t test Ch. 6 (pp. 188-194) Assignment 6 Due Oct 28 t test lab 11 Nov 2 Exam 3 Nov 4 Analysis of Variance (A_NOVA) Ch. 7 (pp. 215-236) 12 Nov 9 Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) Assignment 7 Due Nov 11 No class-veterans Day 13 Nov 16 Repeated Measures & Factorial Ch. 8 (pp. 253-285) ANOVA Nov 18 ANOVA lab Assignment 8 Due* 14 Nov 23 Exam 4 Nov 25 No class-thanksgiving 15 Nov 30 Correlation and Regression Ch. 9 (pp. 331-336) Dec 3 Non Parametric Procedures Ch. 10 (pp.353-372) Assignment 9 Due 16 Dec 7 The Right Statisfic/SPSS Preview Dec 9 Final Exam Review Assignment 10 Due Dee 15 Final Exam Final Exam: Tuesday, December 15-10:15-12:15pro *Stop by my office on Thursday or Friday to pick up feedback on the homework assignment prior to the Monday exam. Disclaimer: this syllabus is tentative and may be subject to change if circumstances beyond my control require it. 9