stats

Basic Statistics for Psychology (Psyc 2317-201) Fall 2011

Professor: Roberto R. Heredia., Ph.D.	URL: http://www.tamiu.edu/~rheredia/
Office: CH 205B	E-mail: rheredia@tamiu.edu
Class Time & Place: MWF 10:30 - 11:20 AM Kinesiology Wellness Rec Crt 128	Phone: (956) 326-2637
Office Hours: WF 9:00 - 10:00 AM & By Appointment

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Introduces practical knowledge of statistical reasoning, from descriptive statistics such as histograms, measures of central tendency, variability, and correlation, to inferential statistics including, probability theory, hypothesis testing, effect size, t-tests, analysis of variance (ANOVA), regression, and chi square, which are essential for understanding scientific reports in psychology and cognitive science. Students enrolled in this class must obtain a "C" or better to enroll in PSYC 3302. Prerequisite: PSYC 2301 or permission of instructor. Corequisite: Concurrent enrollment in PSYC 2117 Basic Statistics for Psychology Laboratory (1L1, 1L2, 1L3, 1L5).

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

In this Course You Should Gain the Following:
1. Ability to understand and explain to others the statistical analysis in reports of social and behavioral science research journals.
2. The ability to identify the appropriate statistical procedures for basic quantitative research, and to carry out the necessary computations.
3. The ability to apply and utilize statistical concepts in designing, executing, and interpreting psychological experimental research.
4. Further development of your quantitative and analytic thinking skills.
5. A preparation for more advanced courses in statistical and research methods (or experimental psychology).
6. Employ the appropriate methods, technologies and data that social and behavioral scientists use to investigate the human condition.

METHODS OF LEARNING:
1. Reading the assigned material, which includes following the numeric examples closely and writing down questions about anything not entirely clear to you.
2. Reading statistics requires close study and rereading, not just reading through once as you might an ordinary book.
3. Testing your knowledge and reviewing each lecture using your Student's Study Guide and Workbook, and visiting the book's Official Web Page or Aron's Webpage page for learning aids (e.g., Exams Questions).
4. Completing the assigned practice problems. Statistics is a skill--it is necessary to DO statistics, not just read and understand!
5. Attending lectures, listening closely, asking questions. DO NOT fall behind!
6. Studying for, taking, and reviewing answers for exams; read chapters summaries, learn the key terms, and practice the "worked-out Problems" for each chapter!
7. Improving your understanding of statistics by using statistical software such as SPSS (available at the computer labs), and MyStat (a free of charge stats program for students). Better yet, use PSPP, OpenStat, or Gnumeric which are Free GNU/Open Source applications. Take advantage of your FREEDOM and choose among other statistical programs available here, and data sets to practice and practice.
8. Ask, answer questions, or report interesting articles about issues related to statistics or research in the TAMIU-Stats Facebook page!

REQUIRED TEXTS AND STATISTICAL COMPUTER PROGRAM:
Aron, A., Coups, E. J., Aron, E. N. (2011). Statistics for the behavioral and social sciences: A brief course (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. (ISBN-10: 0205797253)
Aron, A., & Aron, E. N. (2011). Study guide and computer workbook for statistics for the behavioral sciences: A Brief Course (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall. (ISBN-10: 0205797296)
Huff, D. (1993). How to lie with statistics. New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company Inc. (ISBN 978-0-393-31072-6)

PSPP a program for statistical analysis (a Free replacement for the proprietary program SPSS) which can be downloaded from here for Windows, here for Mac, and here for Linux users and Chappa & Heredia GLSD for Mac and Windows.
Calculator: Inexpensive Calculator with X² (2² = 4) and SQR-Root Number Capabilities. You must have your own calculator and you cannot use your phone as calculator!

POLICIES OF THE COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

ABOUT EXAMS:
1. Each of the three exams will cover only the material since the last exam (except to the extent that the previous material is necessary for understanding the new).
2. Exams will be multiple choice and short answer essays requiring conceptual understanding of statistical principles necessary in experimental research.
3. Quizes may or may not be announced in advance. Quizes may cover material from an immediate past lecture or material for a scheduled chapter or lecture on a particuular date.
4. The final Examination will be comprehensive and will contain a written component (see Policies of the College of Arts & Sciences).
5. No Exam or Quiz make-ups will be allowed.

ABOUT IMPORTANT ISSUES RELATED TO CLASS AND ASSIGNMENTS:
1. Class starts on time.
2. Students have complained that they are being greatly distracted by students talking during class, playing with their phones, getting up and leaving class. Stundents want to have clear expectations and to enforce them.
     a. Cellular phones should be turned off and put away. Student will be warned once and the second time will be asked to leave the classroom if phones ring during lecture or student is actively using/checking phone.
     b. Students talking during class lectures will be warned once and the second time will be asked to leave the classroom.
     c. Students should remain on their seats until the end of the class.
3. Students are welcomed to bring personal computers (e.g., laptops, netbooks, or tablets) to class for note-taking purposes. Students should not use class time for net surfing or for other non-class-related purposes. Students will be warned once, and the second time will be asked to leave the classroom.

4. FOR ALL assignments, pleasee show your work. Assignments with answers only will not be accepted and will not be counted.
5. To better appreciate and learn the methods of psychology, you are required to participate in 2 on-going psychological experiment. Students with learning, visual, or hearing disabilities are exempt from this requirement. This exemption also applies to participants that may not meet the specific requirements of the particular experiment or study. As an alternative, if you do not wish to participate in psychological experiments, you can write two 4-5 paged review of a journal article. Please discuss this possibility with your professor.

Extra-Credit:
You can earn extra points by participating in ongoing research projects, provided that you meet the requirements of the particular experiment. These requirements are determined by the investigator of the particular study. After you complete the required experiment (2 hours), you will earn 2 extra points for every additional hour (up to 5 hours) that you participate (e.g., Ecological Experiment, Translation1, Translation 2)

Course Grade Summary: Points will accumulate over the semester such that there will be:

3 Examinations	@ 50 Points	150 Points (45% of grade)
1 Final Exam	@ 50 Points	50 Points (15% of grade)
Attendance	@ 25 Points	25 Points (7% of grade)
Assignments	@ 25 Points	25 Points (7% of grade)
15 Quizes	@ 5 points	75 points (22% of grade)
2 Psychological Experiments	@ 5 points	10 points (3% of grade)

Total Possible Points: 335 pts.

A = 90-100%, B = 80-89%, C = 70-79%, D = 60-69%, F =59% and below

COURSE OUTLINE: SCHEDULE OF CLASSES:

DATE	TOPIC	CHAPTER READING	ASSIGNMENT Practice Problems
PART I	Descriptive Statistics: Using Tables and Graphs, Displaying number
AUG 26	Introduction/Administrative
AUG 29-31	Displaying Frequency Tables & Graphs (Descriptives)	Ch 1
SEP 2	Distribution Shapes: Describing Distributions	Ch 1	HW# 1: 1- 4, 7
SEP 5	The Tyranny of the Mean: Th Averages, The Mean, Median & Mode	Ch 2	HW# 2: 1-2, 11,
SEP 7 - 9	Variance and Standard Deviation/Z Scores: Spread Out vs. Clustered Data	Ch 2.1, Ch 2.2	HW# 3: 3-5,7,12,13
SEP 12 - 14	Correlation I/II: Relationship Between Variables or Possible Cause and Effect?	Ch 3	HW# 4: 1-4
SEP 16	Regression I: Ability to Predict or Educated Guesses Based on Statistics	Ch 3	HW# 5: 6
SEP 19	Regression II: Ability to Predict or Educated Guesses Based on Statistics	Ch 3	HW# 5: 7
SEP 21	FIRST EXAM Includes Chapters 1-3 From How To Lie With Statistics	Exam 1 Study Guide

PART II	Basics of Inferential Statistics
SEP 23 - 30	Normal Curve (Z calculator): Sample vs. Populations (Chappa & Heredia GLSD)	Ch 4	HW# 6: 1, 3, 5, 6, 13, 14
OCT 3	Probability (Coin Simulator): Computing & Understanding Probabilities	Ch 4.1	HW# 7: 11-12
OCT 5 - 12	Hypothesis Testing Logic I & II: Stating and Testing Hypotheses Scientifically	Ch 5	HW# 8: 1-4, 12, 13-14
OCT 14 - 19	Distributions of Means: Hypothesis Testing with Means of Samples	Ch 6,	HW# 9: 1- 3, 13,14
OCT 21	Estimation and Confidence Intervals: Testing with Means of Samples	6.1	HW# 10: 4, 17
OCT 24 - 28	Power and Effect Size I/II: Making Sense of Statistics	Ch 7	HW# 11: 1
OCT 31	SECOND EXAM Includes Chapters 4-6 From How To Lie With Statistics	Exam 2 Study Guide

PART III	t-Test: Paramentric Statisics
NOV 2 - 7	Introduction to the t-Test & Single -Sample t-Test (t value calculator):	Ch 8	HW# 12: 1-3, 12, 13
NOV 9 - 11	Dependent Means t-Test: t-Test for Correlated Samples	Ch 8	HW# 13: 3, 6, 15
NOV 14 - 16	Independent Means t-Test I: t-Test for Uncorrelated or Independent Samples.	Ch 9	HW# 14: 2-4, 12,13
NOV 18	Independent Means t-Test II: t-Test for Uncorrelated or Independent Samples	Ch 9	HW# 15: 5-6, 16
NOV 21	THIRD EXAM Includes Chapters 7-10 From How To Lie With Statistics	Exam 3 Study Guide

PART III CONT	Analysis of Variance (ANOVA): Parametric Statistics Cont..
NOV 28 - 30	Introduction to ANOVA (Fisher, ANOVA, F): Analysis for Multiple Group Means	Ch 10	HW# 16: 1-3
DEC 2	Introduction to Factorial Designs: Analysis for Multiple Group Means & Interactios	Ch 10.1	HW# 17: 4-5, 13
DEC 5	Chi-Square Test of Goodness of Fit / Chi-SQR Test of Independence (Chi-SQR Calculator)	Ch 11	HW# 18: 1, 2
DEC 6	Last Class Day	Exam 4 Study Guide
DEC 7	Reading Day
DEC 14	FINAL EXAM at 8:00 AM

NOTE: The above schedule and procedures in this course are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances.

Lectures, Articles, & Books on Statistics:
On-Line Books, Software; On-Line Lecture: Linear Models; On-Line Multivariate Statistics; On-Line Lecture: Logistic Regression; On-Line book on Maximum Likelihood; On-line: Life Data Analysis; On-line Text: Visual Statistics; Articles on Statistics; Test/Scale Construction; Lectures: Statistics Concepts; Evaluation Personnel; Assessment, Research & Evaluation; Statistical Services Centre.

Other Related Topics:
Statistics & Research I & II; Statistics for Psychology & Research; Statistics Explained I, II, & III; An Excellent Statistics Book; Package for GPS Deformation; Nonparametric Statistics; T-test, Factorial Designs; Statistical Significance; Social Research Methods

Practice, Do & Learn:
Vista Program: Visual Statistics; Learning Statistics; Statistical Data; Java Statistics

More Statistics:
Statistics on the web: http://www.crestcapital.com/tax/business_statistics.html
http://www.psychologie.uni-trier.de:8000/projects/gpower.html

Do You Want to Practice and Read More About Statistics? Try the Following Sites:
http://www.stats.gla.ac.uk/steps/glossary/
http://www.stats.gla.ac.uk/steps/glossary/alphabet.html
http://www.uvm.edu/%7Edhowell/StatPages/Fundamentals/Glossary.html
http://www.animatedsoftware.com/statglos/statglos.htm
http://www.animatedsoftware.com/ascodesc/statdesc.htm
http://www.statsoft.com/textbook/stathome.html

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