STATISTICS ASSIGNMENT 1

Assignment 1: Research Guidelines

Complete the following assignment by filling in all pertinent areas of research. You will need to utilize SPSS for this assignment. You can find sample information from Week 1 lesson and GSS website.

Use a different, but legible, color font for your responses.

(A) My Purpose (research question) (5 pts)

My research question is: Does a person's overall happiness in their marriage affect their thought on if divorce is the best option? To achieve this goal, I investigate how ____________________ (enter here what your Independent Variables measure) affects _______________ (enter here what your Dependent Variable measures)

(B) All About GSS 2012 data (5 pts)

1. Who are the participants? ___________________________________________________________________________

2. What population does the sample represent? ​​​​​___________________________________________________________________________

3. Who is funding the research? ___________________________________________________

4. When was the data collected? __________________________________________________

5. How was my data collected? ___________________________________________________

(C) Variables (you have expected to have only one DV and a minimum of one IV. (10 pts)

My IV(s): if you have multiple IVs, provide information for EACH IV using the format below.

IV Variable name in SPSS: Hapmar

IV Question (as asked to the respondent verbatim) “Taking things all together, how would you describe your marriage? Would you say that your marriage is very happy, pretty happy, or not too happy?”

IV Answer categories: ___________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

IV Level of Measurement___________________

My DV: only ONE DV is required for your final portfolio

DV variable name in SPSS: Divbest

DV Question (as asked to the respondent verbatim)- “Do you agree or disagree… Divorce is usually the best solution when a couple can’t seem to work out their marriage problems”.

DV Answer categories: _____________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

DV Level of Measurement: ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​__________________________

(D) Frequency Tables (10 pts)

Run frequencies for each variable listed above. Summarize your findings in a paragraph or two below. Cite numbers in the frequency tables to support your conclusion. Be sure to insert your tables over into this document.

[I HAVE THESE – DON’T WORRY ABOUT THIS ONE—I’ll add later]

(E) Graphs and Charts (10 pts)

Run the appropriate graphs/charts for each of your variables listed above. Summarize your findings briefly in a paragraph or two. Cite numbers in the graph/charts to support your conclusion. Include a title on each of your charts and other pertinent labels you feel necessary.

[Insert SPSS graphs/charts here]

(F) Choose two of the following techniques (10 pts)

Choose two of the following statistical techniques to investigate the issue/topic you are considering in more depth. Summarize your findings and copy/paste all relevant output data here in this file.

· Option 1: Running measures of central tendency and dispersion

[Insert SPSS output here]

· Option 2: Recoding

[Insert the following items: SPSS syntax for the recoding process; the frequency table for the original variable; and the frequency table for the recoded variable]

· Option 3: Index construction

[Insert the following items: SPSS syntax for the index construction procedure; the frequency table for the original variable(s); and the frequency table for the index variable]

(G) Crosstab Table(s) (10 pts)

Outline a research hypothesis regarding your variables. List below: (if you have two IVs, you need to have two sets of hypotheses using the following format)

Research hypothesis: _________________________________________________________________

Null hypothesis: ​​​​​​​​​​______________________________________________________________________

Create a crosstab table with the variables that you have chosen. If you have two IVs, you need to have two separate crosstabs. Be sure that column percentages are included in the table. Please provide a detailed overview of your bivariate analysis,

Your DV, _________________________, will go into the ROW.

Your IV, _________________________, will go into the COLUMN.

[Paste crosstab table(s) here]

Present your findings here in a paragraph or two. As part of it, address whether your research hypothesis is correct. Compute the epsilon and explain.