statistics lab assignment
Name: ____________________________________________ VCU e-ID:
[email protected] Lab (circle yours): 9:00 Margaret (901) 11:00 Margaret (902) 1:00 Morgan (903) 3:00 Morgan (904) PSYC 214: Dr. Hood - Monday lecture, Spring 2020 Assignment 1 (Due in class by 4:00pm on Monday, 01/27/20) Late penalty for unexcused assignments: 20 points off, no later than 5:00 on Tuesday, 1/28 in the Psychology office, 806 W. Franklin. Give to the receptionist, who will stamp the late assignment and place in your TA’s mailbox. Follow the same drop off instructions for early assignments. Please staple all assignments prior to submission. Chapter 1 In the following descriptions of psychological research, identify the independent variable, the levels of the independent variable, the dependent variable name the relevant population and sample, and indicate whether it is an experimental or non-experimental study. [30 total points; 1 point for each component X 6 questions] 1. a) Personality researchers were interested in whether characteristics such as conscientiousness is related to volunteering for a leadership position during college. Ninety-nine undergraduates (36 scoring high in conscientiousness and 63 scoring low in conscientiousness) were given the opportunity to volunteer for a leadership position of their choice at their university. Results show significant relations between leadership and conscientiousness with leaders scoring higher in conscientiousness than non-leaders. Conscientiousness appears to distinguish student leaders from non-leaders. IV: IV levels: DV: Sample: Population: Experimental or non-experimental? Briefly explain why. b) A neuroscientist investigates whether teenagers (13-18 years in age) who receive oxygen therapy immediately after traumatic brain injury (TBI) have less severe long-term learning deficits than teenagers who receive no oxygen therapy immediately after similar TBI. IV: IV levels: DV: Sample: Population: Experimental or non-experimental? Briefly explain why. c) A social psychologist observes the personal space maintained by people in Starbucks in Cabell as a function of the appearance of people one interacts with. The researcher's confederate (assistant) was either professionally dressed (in a business suit) or casually dressed (sweatpants) and approached each person, standing 2 feet away. The researcher observed the distance between each person (research participant) put between him/herself and the confederate. IV: IV levels: DV: Sample: Population: Experimental or non-experimental? Briefly explain why. d) A researcher tried to determine if first year college students’ grade point averages at Highpoint University differed among the following groups: students who have always lived with two parents; students who have always lived with one parent; and students who have sometimes lived with one parent and sometimes with two parents. IV: IV levels: DV: Sample: Population: Experimental or non-experimental? Briefly explain why. e) Seven hundred male prison inmates in New Jersey were selected at random and required to participate in a job training program. Another 700 inmates were randomly selected to serve as a control (comparison) group and received no job training. All inmates were released soon after the training was over and were tracked for one year after release. The researcher recorded whether or not each had been arrested within that year. IV: IV levels: DV: Sample: Population: Experimental or non-experimental? Briefly explain why. f) A researcher tested the efficacy of oral habits reversal therapy in the reduction of headache pain. People with chronic headaches were randomly assigned to experience either relaxation therapy combined with training to eliminate poor oral habits such as teeth-clenching, nail biting, etc. or relaxation therapy alone. After therapy, total headache pain was measured. IV: IV levels: DV: Sample: Population: Experimental or non-experimental? Briefly explain why. 2. Indicate whether each of the following is at the nominal, ordinal, or interval/ratio level of measurement. Explain the reasons for your choices: [2 points each, total 10] a. Inches in foot nominal ordinal interval/ratio Explanation: b. Meal options at a fast-food restaurant nominal ordinal interval/ratio Explanation: c. Dollars as a measure of income nominal ordinal interval/ratio Explanation: d. Order of finish in a cycling race nominal ordinal interval/ratio Explanation: e. MCAT scores nominal ordinal interval/ratio Explanation: 3. Which of the following is not a quantitative variable? [2 points] a. number of children in a family b. types of bicycles ridden by VCU students. c. the weight of a group of dieters. d. time spent brushing your teeth. 4. Round the following to 2 decimal places. [1 point each] a. 245.692 _______________________ d. 25.26231 _______________________ b. 14.53670 _______________________ e. 2.098 _______________________ c. 0.054 _______________________ 5. Greater than, less than: fill in either > or < for each pair. [1 point each] a. -12.00 ____ -11.99 b. 5.57 ____ 3.25 c. -6.98 ____ -6.96 d. -87.59 ____ -87.70 e. 100.00 ____ -100.00 chapter 2 see data on pg. 65 5th edition/64 4th edition (sick days data) for questions 6 and 7. 6. construct a frequency distribution (by hand) containing absolute frequencies, relative frequency, and percentage. [7 points] 7. construct (by hand) a properly labeled frequency histogram for the set of scores: [7 points] for questions 8-9, use spss and the marital status data set in the text (on page 66 5th edition/64 4th edition of text, exercises 24-26). your initials must be in each variable name. remember that you can paste spss output into the document by selecting the section of interest, right-clicking and choosing “copy objects” from the menu! spss formatting: you will need to 1) define a variable name (including your initials in each variable name), 2) select values to represent the categories of married, divorced, widowed, or single, and 3) create value labels for the aforementioned categories. [5 points] 8. create a frequency distribution; paste in (preferred) or include spss output on a separate sheet. [7 points] 9. create a bar graph for the set of scores. [7 points] chapter 3 10. identify and define the three measures of central tendency in your own words. [6 points] a) __________________: def: b) __________________: def: c) __________________: def: 11. you are conducting a study of how fast various people are capable of writing a text message on their cell phones. you collect the following reaction times: 1.25, 0.96, 0.78, 1.03, 10.60, 0.82, 1.61. compute the mean for this set of numbers [3 points] 12. for the following set of scores (chapter 3 exercise #5), find the mean, median and mode [2 points each]: 18, 17, 22, 20, 25, 20, 16, 19, 18, 22, 26, 23, 23, 23, 24, 24, 22, 21, 19, 20, 20 mean: _________________ median: _______________ mode: _________________ 100 points - ________________ total deductions = _______________assignment 1 score 80 points - _________________ total deductions = _______________assignment 1 score [with late penalty] ______ if checked, assignment not complete “on my honor, i have neither given nor received aid on this assignment, and i pledge that i am in compliance with the vcu honor system.” ___________________________________________ for="" each="" pair.="" [1="" point="" each]="" a.="" -12.00="" ____="" -11.99="" b.="" 5.57="" ____="" 3.25="" c.="" -6.98="" ____="" -6.96="" d.="" -87.59="" ____="" -87.70="" e.="" 100.00="" ____="" -100.00="" chapter="" 2="" see="" data="" on="" pg.="" 65="" 5th="" edition/64="" 4th="" edition="" (sick="" days="" data)="" for="" questions="" 6="" and="" 7.="" 6.="" construct="" a="" frequency="" distribution="" (by="" hand)="" containing="" absolute="" frequencies,="" relative="" frequency,="" and="" percentage.="" [7="" points]="" 7.="" construct="" (by="" hand)="" a="" properly="" labeled="" frequency="" histogram="" for="" the="" set="" of="" scores:="" [7="" points]="" for="" questions="" 8-9,="" use="" spss="" and="" the="" marital="" status="" data="" set="" in="" the="" text="" (on="" page="" 66="" 5th="" edition/64="" 4th="" edition="" of="" text,="" exercises="" 24-26).="" your="" initials="" must="" be="" in="" each="" variable="" name.="" remember="" that="" you="" can="" paste="" spss="" output="" into="" the="" document="" by="" selecting="" the="" section="" of="" interest,="" right-clicking="" and="" choosing="" “copy="" objects”="" from="" the="" menu!="" spss="" formatting:="" you="" will="" need="" to="" 1)="" define="" a="" variable="" name="" (including="" your="" initials="" in="" each="" variable="" name),="" 2)="" select="" values="" to="" represent="" the="" categories="" of="" married,="" divorced,="" widowed,="" or="" single,="" and="" 3)="" create="" value="" labels="" for="" the="" aforementioned="" categories.="" [5="" points]="" 8.="" create="" a="" frequency="" distribution;="" paste="" in="" (preferred)="" or="" include="" spss="" output="" on="" a="" separate="" sheet.="" [7="" points]="" 9.="" create="" a="" bar="" graph="" for="" the="" set="" of="" scores.="" [7="" points]="" chapter="" 3="" 10.="" identify="" and="" define="" the="" three="" measures="" of="" central="" tendency="" in="" your="" own="" words.="" [6="" points]="" a)="" __________________:="" def:="" b)="" __________________:="" def:="" c)="" __________________:="" def:="" 11.="" you="" are="" conducting="" a="" study="" of="" how="" fast="" various="" people="" are="" capable="" of="" writing="" a="" text="" message="" on="" their="" cell="" phones.="" you="" collect="" the="" following="" reaction="" times:="" 1.25,="" 0.96,="" 0.78,="" 1.03,="" 10.60,="" 0.82,="" 1.61.="" compute="" the="" mean="" for="" this="" set="" of="" numbers="" [3="" points]="" 12.="" for="" the="" following="" set="" of="" scores="" (chapter="" 3="" exercise="" #5),="" find="" the="" mean,="" median="" and="" mode="" [2="" points="" each]:="" 18,="" 17,="" 22,="" 20,="" 25,="" 20,="" 16,="" 19,="" 18,="" 22,="" 26,="" 23,="" 23,="" 23,="" 24,="" 24,="" 22,="" 21,="" 19,="" 20,="" 20="" mean:="" _________________="" median:="" _______________="" mode:="" _________________="" 100="" points="" -="" ________________="" total="" deductions="_______________Assignment" 1="" score="" 80="" points="" -="" _________________="" total="" deductions="_______________Assignment" 1="" score="" [with="" late="" penalty]="" ______="" if="" checked,="" assignment="" not="" complete="" “on="" my="" honor,="" i="" have="" neither="" given="" nor="" received="" aid="" on="" this="" assignment,="" and="" i="" pledge="" that="" i="" am="" in="" compliance="" with="" the="" vcu="" honor="" system.”="">