PSYCHOLOGY 501, INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICS IN BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE

FALL 2001

Instructor: Dr. M. Foster,

Lecture Time/Place: Wednesdays, 7:15-10, Anderson 212

Telephone: 610 436 3153

Email: mfoster@wcupa.edu

Office/ Hours: Peoples, 43: Tuesdays/Thursdays 11-12:30, Wednesdays 5-7pm

Text: Pagano, Understanding Statistics in the Behavioral Sciences, 6th edition.

Software Text: Using SPSS for Windows: Analyzing and Understanding Data

Course Objectives:

In this course, students will develop:

1) A basic understanding of the purposes and uses of statistics, especially for the social and behavioral sciences;

2) A conceptual understanding of several different statistical techniques to describe a set of numbers, how to compute them, and in what circumstances their use is appropriate;

3) How to write APA format results sections

4) A working knowledge of a computer software package (SPSS) that will enable the user to perform many statistical computations more efficiently.

5) TO BECOME LESS AFRAID OF STATISTICS!

Course Calender

Note: Chapter numbers not yet available due to change in text edition

August 29^th:

• Introductions

September 5^th:

• Definitions, Begin Central Tendency

September 12^th:

• Central Tendency continued, Z-scores,
• time to begin Assignment 1: See Lesson 20, question 6, and question 7. In addition to the means in question 7, include standard deviation and skewness. Do the mean and standard deviation (not skewness) by hand and on SPSS. Highlight on the output the mean, standard deviation and skewness. Finally write an APA participants section, describing participants on the basis of these attitudes.

September 19^th:

• Work on Assignment 1

September 26^th:

• Class canceled (Yom Kippur)

October 3^rd:

• Assignment 1 due
• Correlation
• SPSS: Lesson 30, Begin Assignment 2: See Lesson 30, questions 1, 2, 3. For question 1, show on output, but also pick b or c to do one by hand.

October 10^th:

• Quiz 1

October 17^th:

• Regression
• SPSS: Lesson 33, Begin Assignment 3: See Lesson 33, Use the data for question 6 , do question 6 to answer : Which is the better set of predictors and, which is the best individual predictor of relapses? Also do question 10.

October 24^th:

• Binomial Distribution, Hypothesis Testing
• Assignment 2/3 due
• Begin Assignment 4: In your text, Ch 10, questions 6, 7, 9, 10

October 31^st:

• Sampling Distribution/Normal Deviate

November 7^th:

• Quiz 2

November 14^th:

• Single sample T-test
• SPSS: Lesson 21, begin Assignment 5: Enter the following data 8.09,8.00,6.27,4.36,9.27,7.09,8.73,7.91,9.82,9.55,7.00,9.27,7.73,9.27,8.00,9.18,6.36,10.00,5.55

7.64,8.55,8.82,8.45,6.73,9.36,9.18,9.82,9.82,8.73,9.82 into a new data file. This data represents "attributions for discrimination". That is, on a scale ranging from 0 to 10 women were asked to read about discrimination happening and asked to attribute the cause of it either to themselves or to someone else (internal versus external attributions). Using the midpoint of the scale, compute a one-sample t-test using SPSS and write up an APA results section to answer whether these women are making internal or external attributions for discrimination.

November 21^st:

• Class canceled (Thanksgiving)

November 28^th:

• Correlated and Independent T-test
• Assignment 5 due
• SPSS: Lesson 23, begin Assignment 6: Questions 1-4

December 5^th:

• Anova
• Assignment 6 due
• Pick up Final

December 12^th: Final due by 8pm

Examinations:

The examinations will consist of multiple choice questions, problems and short answer questions. The final examination will cover material from the entire semester and will consist of the same types of questions as the other exams.

Computer Assignments:

You will also be given computer assignments to complete using the SPSS program that accompanies this course. There will be SIX assignments.

Grading:

Assignments: 6x 5% = 30% of your grade

Test 1=20%

Test 2=20%

Final exam=30%

We at West Chester University wish to make accommodations for persons with disabilities. Please make you needs known by contacting Dr. Foster and/or the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities at ext. 3217. Sufficient notice is needed in order to make the accommodations possible. The University desires to comply with the ADA of 1990.