Q PSY 2100-001 Statistical Methods/Fall 20159:30 - 10:45am M/W University Hall 5150 F

InstructorMonica (Rohrabaugh) Lawson, M.A.Office: University Hall 1900DPhone: (419)530-2338Email: Monica.Rohrabaugh@rockets.utoledo.eduOffice Hours: Tuesdays 10:45-12:00 and by appointment Statistics

Course InformationRequired 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

Perquisites: Minimum grade of C- or better in Math 1320 (College Algebra) or higher math. See meduring 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 departmentrequired WAC course. A passing grade of C- or better in this course must be earned in order to registerfor research methods.

O Course Description: This course provides a basic understanding of the statistics used most commonly bysocial scientists. Topics to be covered include summarizing data with graphs and numbers, generalizingfrom samples to a population, and determining the effect of one variable on another. The course will alsoallow you to understand research reports in social science publications and in the press. We willparticularly emphasize the application of statistics and interpreting the statistics (rather than themathematical proofs underlying these statistical methods). Even students who have math anxiety canexcel 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 GoalAs your instructor, my goal is to make statistics accessible, inviting, and--fun! After this course, myhopes 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 lovestatistics and its applications in my daily life. I look forward to sharing my passion with you and hope topass it on.

O

Course Requirements

ExamsThere will be 4 regular exams during the semester and 1 final. Exams will be comprised of multiplechoice 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 uponthemselves. Practice and continual review of statistical concepts is essential for long-term memoryconsolidation and success on the final exam. A quick review should help you prepare for review questionson the exams. I recommend reviewing old material throughout the semester, focusing on the key conceptsand the connections between old and new material.

Exams should not be missed, but exams will be rescheduled if the student has a legitimate, university-sanctioned reason for missing an exam. If you anticipate that you must miss an exam (e.g., religiousholiday, participation in an athletic event), contact me via email at least one week prior to the exam. If youare unable to take an examination on time due to illness or emergency, notify me before the examinationis scheduled to begin (prior to 9:20 on testing day) by sending me an email or calling my office phone. Beprepared to take the make-up exam at the earliest possible date. Make up examinations will not be givenwithout proper documentation of absence (e.g., doctors note).

Homework AssignmentsPractice is essential for success in this course. There will be 10 homework assignments to solidify yourunderstanding of the course material. Assignments are worth 12 points each. In most cases, hard copies ofthe 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 thebeginning 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 QuizzesThere will be 5 reading quizzes during the semester. Each quiz is worth 6 points. Quizzes may or may notbe announced in class ahead of time. Reading quizzes are design to cover the main ideas presented in thetextbook chapter for which we are preparing to discuss in lecture. All quizzes are to be completed by eachstudent without help from another person. Students are not allowed to use their textbook, a fellowstudent's notes, or the internet when taking quizzes. However, I will allow students to use their written ortyped notes from readings of the chapter. If using types notes, they must be printed prior to 9:25 as to notdistract others. All typed notes will be checked to make sure they do not contain resources not permittedon the exam (e.g., photographs of book pages, screen shots of online resources, powerpoint slides). Notesshould include ideas and concepts presented in class and in the text, in your own words. All quizzes willoccur at the beginning of class and will be timed. You must be present on the day of the quiz. Contact mevia email or phone before class if you will be absent due to an illness or emergency and would like theoppommity to receive a makeup reading quiz (in the event that there was a quiz given on that particularday).

Class LabsThere will be 3 labs during the semester. The class labs allow students to work on the concepts we arestudying. 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 beavailable to answer questions. Actively working on the lab and asking questions related to statisticalconcepts earn points. Points will be deducted for working on material not related to the activity andleaving class early. You must be in class on lab days to be eligible for points.

Course Evaluation

Grading ScaleEach assignment will contribute toward your final grade as follows:

Assignment4 Semester Exams - 75 points each1 Final Exam- 120 points10 Homework Assignments - 12 points each5 Reading Quizzes - 6 points each3 Class Labs - 10 points eachTotal

Points Possible3001201203030600

% of Total Grade5O%20%20%5%5%100%

You will receive the grade you earned. To be fair to all students, I follow proper rounding techniques (seebelow).

Grade Percent Points Earned Grade Percent Points EarnedA 92.50-100.00% 555 C 72.50-77.49% 435A- 90.00-92.49% 540 C- 70.00-72.49% 420B+ 87.50-89.99% 525 D+ 67.50-69.99% 405B 82.50-87.49% 495 D 62.50-67.49% 375B- 80.00-82.49% 480 D- 60.00-62.49% 360C+ 77.50-79.99% 465 F 59.99 and below

Grading PoliciesStudents who drop this course after the end of the drop period will earn a W. Failure to completeassignments will be reported to the registrar and such non-attendance may affect your financial aid. Youare responsible for keeping track of your progress in this course. If you would like to check your pointstotal to the grade book, please email me and I will forward you a grade report via your university emailaccount.

University of Toledo Policies

Students with DisabilitiesReasonable accommodations will be made for anyone with a disability that may require somemodification of seating, testing, or other class requirements. Students must contact the Student DisabilityServices for an evaluation and form specifying what course accommodations are judged reasonable forthat student. Please contact me after class or during office hours so that appropriate arrangements may bemade.

Student Disability ServicesCampus Address: Rocket Hall 1820Phone: (419)530-4981Web: 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 knowledgeand development of the skills necessary for success in any profession. Activities inconsistent with theseaims will not be permitted. Students are responsible for knowing what constitutes academic dishonesty. Ifstudents are uncertain about what constitutes plagiarism or cheating they should seek the instructor'sadvice. 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 andnot offering proper documentation;

• Giving or receiving, prior to an examination, any unauthorized information concerning thecontent of that examination;

o Referring to or displaying any unauthorized materials inside or outside of the examination roomduring the course of an examination;

• Communicating during an examination in any manner with any unauthorized person concerningthe 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 aresponsibility. Assignments and tests should be constructed and proctored so as to discourage academicdishonesty. Faculty members are expected to inform their students explicitly as to what materials andprocedures are authorized for use in the preparation of assignments or in examinations (e.g., the use ofcalculator, 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 Fgrade and is not permitted to withdraw from the course.

• The student may be placed on probation or suspended for some definite period of time, dismissedor expelled by the Dean if either the seriousness of the offense or a record of repeated offenseswarrants it. A notation that such a sanction has been imposed will be made part of the student'spermanent record. It is expected that the Dean will consult with the instructor and the student inmaking such a judgment, and that the Dean will notify the student of the sanction imposed and ofthe appeals procedure.

° A student found to be academically dishonest by a faculty member may appeal according toprocedures approved by the respective colleges. The procedures for making a final appeal to theStudent Grievance Committee may be found in the Student Handbook.

Online Tutorial: I have a zero tolerance for academic dishonesty. Ignorance of University policies is notan excuse for academic dishonesty. Part of your first assignment in this class will be to complete a web-based tutorial on plagiarism. The tutorial can be found by copy and pasting the following web-link intoyour 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 statisticsclass is necessary for psychology majors. Others think back to math courses with considerable anxiety. Iwant you to know that I am aware that many students are nervous about this class and, above all, I want tohelp you succeed in this course. Moreover, I will do my best throughout the semester to convince youthat 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 foryou is that you learn the material rather than earn a grade. Here are some general strategies to considerwhen going through the course:

Attend ClassAttending class is critical for success in this course. Research has shown that one of the best predictors ofgrades in courses is class attendance, and even the brightest students gain more insight by attendingclasses regularly. TNs is especially important in a class like statistics, as it is helpful to consumeinformation multiple times and in a number of different formats (e.g., reading, lectures). There will besome course material presented in class that does not appear in the book; thus, you will need to attend toget all the information covered on exams. Moreover, attendance is necessary for earning points on manycomponents of the course (e.g., reading quizzes, examinations, labs).

Readÿ Study, and Take Notes ActivelyResearch shows that many individuals read and write passively, that is, without thinking about themeaning of what they are covering. In reading and studying textbook-type material, everyone (professorsincluded) must read actively and as a result somewhat slowly. Passively writing down what is on theoverhead screen or what is discussed in class without thinking about it will not help you learn orunderstand 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 ownfacilitate active processing of the information. PowerPoint presentations will not be made

students.

!Summaries and Section Headings Before and While You Readiiÿd 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 chapterh.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 qualityand 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 doagree 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 discussstudying of the material.

6

Do the Homework Assignments and In Class LabsIn order to facilitate your mastery of basic statistics, I have included homework assignments and in classlabs (in addition to the 5 exams). We will also work through problems as a class on lecture days. Thepurpose of the assignments and in class labs is three-fold: 1) they allow you more opportunities to earnpoints in the course, 2) they will give you critical practice for building your understanding of the materialfor exams and facilitate your use/retention of the information, and 3) they allow the opportunity to receiveindividual feedback from me. I will do my best to give the class feedback in a timely fashion.

Keep up with Class Material and Ask QuestionsThere is a large amount of information to learn in this course, and most of the new material builds uponpreviously-learned material. Therefore, if you fall behind in the readings or don't understand a keyconcept, this will severely hurt your progress in the course. So keep up with the readings and askquestions when things are unclear. The review questions on the examinations and final are designed toencourage 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 areexpected to:

® read the assigned readings before each class periodo 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 thatcan be distracting to myself and your classmates. This includes arriving to class late and leavingearly.

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 DueSep 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 DueSep 17 Standardized z Scores lab

5 Sep 21 Exam 1Sep 23 Probability Ch. 4 (pp.111-123)

6 Sep 28 Probability & Samples Assignment 3 DueSep 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 test10 Oct 26 Dependent samples t test Ch. 6 (pp. 188-194) Assignment 6 Due

Oct 28 t test lab11 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 PreviewDec 9 Final Exam Review Assignment 10 DueDee 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 theMonday exam.

Disclaimer: this syllabus is tentative and may be subject to change if circumstances beyond my controlrequire it.

9