18 Oct The process of random sampling guarantees that the sample selected will be representative of the population.

Statistics can be a foreign topic to many people and/or cause anxiety. This checklist may help you succeed.

 

Schedule 20-25 hours a week for studying and completing assignments

 

Review the specific terms for each topic on the Statistics Visual Learner website

 

Read the assigned chapters from the textbook and complete the Progress Checks as you are reading for practice

 

Use the Electronic Resources for extra assistance (Khan videos, SPSS tutorials, SAGE resources, etc.)

 

Complete the assignment(s) for each topic

 

Having reviewed this checklist, what challenges might you face? What steps can you take to succeed in the class?

 

Review the levels of measurement terms in the Statistics Visual Learner media piece. Compare and contrast Stevens’s four scales of measurement and explain when each type of scale should be used.

 

DQ2 The professor teaching a large introductory class gives a final exam that has alternate forms, A, B, and C. A student taking the exam using Form B is upset because she claims that Form B is much harder than Forms A and C. Discuss how percentile point data might be useful to determine if the student is correct.

 

 

 

PSY520 Graduate Statistics

 

Week 2 Discussion

 

DQ1 The process of random sampling guarantees that the sample selected will be representative of the population. Why is this statement not true? What other factors and variables influence the outcomes of studies?

 

DQ2 Review the video on Normal Distribution in the Calculations section of the “Statistics Visual Learner” media piece.

 

Bob compares his SAT Verbal score of 400 to Marge’s ACT Verbal score of 20. “I beat you,” he exclaims. “My score is 20 times your score!” Although his multiplication is good, his logic is faulty. Explain why.

 

 

 

PSY520 Graduate Statistics

 

Week 3 Discussion

 

DQ1 Review the video “Linear Correlation” in the Calculations section of the “Statistics Visual Learner” media piece.

 

It is sometimes said that the higher the correlation between two variables, the more likely the relationship is causal. Do you think this is correct? Discuss.

 

DQ2 Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of correlational and regression studies; discuss concepts such as positive and negative correlations, correlation coefficients, confounding variables, and causality.

 

 

 

 

 

PSY520 Graduate Statistics

 

Week 4 Discussion

 

DQ1 Explain Type I error and give an example. Explain Type II error and give an example. What is the best way to reduce both kinds of error? Find a current scenario that has a Type I error and a Type II error. Is this scenario an example of an inverse relationship? Why or Why not?

 

DQ2 Review the term Significance Test in the “Statistics Visual Learner” media piece.

 

When a newspaper or magazine article reports the results of a study and draws a conclusion without also reporting whether the results are statistically significant, what are the possible reasons for doing so? How seriously should you take the conclusion offered in such a study? Discuss.

 

 

 

PSY520 Graduate Statistics

 

Week 5 Discussion

 

DQ1 What are the strengths and weaknesses of using a t-test? Give a real-world example to support your answer.

 

DQ2 Discuss how the t-test for correlated groups and the t-test for single samples are alike and different. Give a current example to support your answer.

 

 

 

PSY520 Graduate Statistics

 

Week 6 Discussion

 

DQ1 Review the four “ANOVA” videos in the Calculations section of the “Statistics Visual Learner” media piece.

 

Explain why factorial designs with two or more independent variables (or factors) can induce errors when interpreting data. Give an example.

 

DQ2 Explain how the ANOVA impacts a Type I error. How might a Type I error change when comparing groups two at a time using the t-test for independent groups?

 

 

 

PSY520 Graduate Statistics

 

Week 7 Discussion

 

DQ1 Review the three “Non Parametric” test videos in the Calculations section of the “Statistics Visual Learner” media piece.

 

How would you create a statistical analysis based on the scenario below? Explain. What level of significance would you test at and why?

 

A researcher is examining preferences among four new flavors of ice cream. A sample of n = 80 people is obtained. Each person tastes all four flavors and then picks a favorite. The distribution of preferences is as follows. Do these data indicate any significance preferences among the four flavors using the chi-square test?

 

Ice Cream Flavor

 

A             B             C             D

 

12           18           28           22

 

DQ2 Describe the differences between parametric and nonparametric tests. Which are more powerful and why? Give an example of a situation where you would select a parametric and a nonparametric test.

 

 

 

PSY520 Graduate Statistics

 

Week 8 Discussion

 

DQ1 To determine whether a new sleeping pill has an affect that varies with dosage, a researcher randomly assigns adult insomniacs, in equal numbers, to receive either 4 or 8 grams of the sleeping pill. The amount of sleeping time is measured for each subject during an 8-hour period after the administration of the dosage. What type of design is this, and what type of statistic is needed to analyze the data (consider ABAB studies)?

 

DQ2 Dr. Bill Board designs a 2 X 2 between-subjects factorial design, where Factor A is word frequency (low or high) and Factor B is category cues (no cues or cues). Assume that the data are interval. What type of statistic is needed to analyze the data?