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Week_2_assigment_.docxWeek 2 - Assignment
Inferential Statistics Article Critique
Read the article “Differential effects of a body image exposure session on smoking urge between physically active and sedentary female smokers,”and identify the research questions and/or hypotheses as they are stated. Consider the following questions: What are the variables (sample sizes, population, treatments, etc.)? What are the inferential statistics used in this article? Were the proper steps of hypothesis testing followed?
Write a two- to three-page paper presenting the information listed below. Include a title page and reference page in APA style. Cite any references made to the article within the body of the paper in APA style. Your paper should begin with an introductory paragraph (including a thesis statement) and end with a concluding paragraph summarizing the major points made in the body of the paper and reaffirming the thesis. When writing the article critique, your paper must:
1. Determine what question(s) the authors are trying to answer by doing this research
2. Determine the hypothesis being tested and the concepts that were applied in this process.
3. Evaluate the article and critique the statistical analysis employed in the study.
· Would you have included more and/or different variables? Explain your answer.
4. Examine the assumptions and limitations of the statistical study.
· What would you have done differently in this case? Why?
5. Identify how the authors applied statistical testing to the problem.
6. Interpret the findings of the author(s) using statistical concepts.
You may access the Critical Thinking Community (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. website for tips on how to formulate your thoughts and discussion of these questions in a logical and meaningful manner. Writing the Article Critique The Assignment:
1. Must be two to three double-spaced pages in length (excluding title and reference pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
2. Must include a title page with the following:
a. Title of paper
b. Student’s name
c. Course name and number
d. Instructor’s name
e. Date submitted
3. Must document all sources in APA style, as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
4. Must include a separate reference page, formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
Carefully review the Grading Rubric (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.
Required Resources
Text
Read from the course text, Statistics for the Behavioral & Social Sciences :
· Chapter 3: The Standard Normal Distribution and z Scores
· Chapter 4: Applying z to Groups
· Chapter 5: The t-tests
Article
Nair, U. S., Collins, B. N., & Napolitano, M. A. (2013). Differential effects of a body image exposure session on smoking urge between physically active and sedentary female smokers. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 27(1), 322-327. Retrieved from the EBSCOhost database.
· This is an article on body image intervention and its effect on smoking urge that used t-tests for analysis. This article is required to complete the assignment for Week Three.
Websites
The Critical Thinking Community. (http://www.criticalthinking.org)
· This website teaches and promotes the main tenets of critical thinking. There are some excellent articles that can help you better understand what critical thinking is and how to utilize it in everyday life.
· Accessibility Statement does not exist
Recommended Resources
Multimedia
Statistics Learning Centre. (2011, December 5). Hypothesis tests, p-value-statistics help[Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zZYBALbZgg
· This is an easy to understand video that takes you step-by-step through the basic hypothesis testing process. It is helpful for learning what a p-value is and how statistical significance works.
· Accessibility Statement does not exist
Uniview Worldwide Ltd. (Producer). (2005) Inferential statistics [Video file]. In Research methods in the social sciences. Retrieved from the Films On Demand database.
· This is a short and fun video on inferential statistics from the On Demand films in the Ashford University Library. It explores setting significance levels, tests of difference, the sign test, degrees of freedom, Yates correction, expected frequencies, parametric tests, and plastic interval scales among other concepts.
Websites
VassarStats: Website for Statistical Computation. (http://vassarstats.net)
· This website includes tools to calculate many of the statistical tests we cover in this course including t-tests, ANOVA, correlation, and regression. Each calculator includes a tutorial and/or walkthrough.
Web Center for Social Research Methods. (http://socialresearchmethods.net)
· This website includes links to numerous tools and tutorials relating to statistical concepts, calculations, and scale development.
Week 2 - Instructor Guidance: PSY325: Statistics for the Behavioral & Social Sciences (PSI1923A)
Week Two Instructor Guidance
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
- Winston S. Churchill
Hello everyone, we made it to week two! This week we will be looking at the standard normal distribution, and the basics of hypothesis testing. Hopefully, you are feeling a bit more confident, but remember that if you need any assistance please let your instructor know.
|
Assignment |
Due Date |
Format |
Grading Percent |
|
Standard Normal Distribution |
Day 3 (1st post) |
Discussion |
5 |
|
Hypothesis Testing |
Day 3 (1st post) |
Quiz |
5 |
|
Inferential Statistics Article Critique |
Day 7 |
Assignment |
5 |
Learning Outcomes This week you will:
1. Explain and provide examples of the standard normal distribution and the use of z-scores.
2. Select the appropriate inferential statistic(s) for a specific research question.
3. Examine the difference between one-tailed and two-tailed tests.
4. Explain the concept and the testing of statistical significance.
5. Identify study components in behavioral and social science research
________________________________________
Standard Normal Curve and the Basics of Inferential Hypothesis Testing
Standard Normal Distribution
You will find that in the social sciences most populations are normally distributed—assuming the data was collected following the assumptions of independence and normality (Huck, 2008).
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So why do we want to convert raw scores to a standard score such as a z score?
We often want to know how an individual or sample compares to the rest of the population.
For example, if we give a class of students an intelligence test and want to compare the scores to the rest of the school, district, or even the country—we want to know how the sample compares to the “average” person. The most commonly used intelligence currently maintains a mean score of 100 and a standard deviation of 15; it is suggested that 100 is average and two standard deviations (100+30=130) is the beginning of “gifted.” If our test is not exactly the same as the one we are comparing to we would need to convert our scores to z scores.
Another example: one student scored 115. We would calculate the z score following the formula in the book of z = x-M/s (section 3.2 in chapter 3 of the text) and we would get 115-100/15=1. This tells us that the student is one standard deviation above the mean.
A second reason for converting scores to z scores is to compare two separate instruments.
For example, what if we want to compare the ACT and SAT college entrance exams. The two instruments use different scoring systems and could not be directly compared—however, by converting the scores to standardized scores (z scores) we are able to quantitatively compare scores from the two measures and compare them to other variables, such as GPA and retention, as well as to each other.
Although there are other types of data transformations that go beyond the scope of this course, just be alert to the purpose of transforming data and recognize when it is necessary to do so and you will be a step ahead of many researchers.
Hypothesis Testing
Hypothesis testing is one of the basic forms of inferential statistics. Please review the following PowerPoint presentation:
For your discussion this week we will be looking at the Standard Normal Distribution.
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Using your sources be sure to discuss the following elements:
· When comparing data from different distributions, what is the benefit of transforming data from these distributions to conform to the standard distribution?
· What role do z-scores play in this transformation of data from multiple distributions to the standard normal distribution?
· What is the relationship between z-scores and percentages?
· In your opinion, does one do a better job of representing the proportion of the area under the standard curve? Give an example that illustrates your answer.
As you read and respond to peers, remember to use the Guided Response provided for you. Week Two Quiz Week two assesses your knowledge about the standard normal curve, z-scores, hypothesis testing, and t-tests. This quiz consists of 10 questions. You will be allowed 30 minutes to complete the quiz once you begin. Once you open this quiz, you must finish it in one sitting. You will have two attempts to take the quiz; however, the latest score (not necessarily the highest) will be captured for grading. Click on the Begin Quiz button when you are ready to start this quiz. When finished, click on Save Answers and then on Submit for Grade. Week Two Assignment After reading the article Differential Effects of a Body Image Exposure Session on Smoking Urge Between Physically Active and Sedentary Female Smokers you will be identifying the research questions and/or hypotheses and considering the following questions:
· What are the variables (sample sizes, population, treatments, etc.)?
· What are the inferential statistics used in this article?
· Were the proper steps of hypothesis testing followed?
Please include the following in the body of your paper:
1. Determine what question(s) the authors are trying to answer by doing this research
2. Determine the hypothesis being tested and the concepts that were applied in this process.
3. Evaluate the article and critique the statistical analysis employed in the study.
· Would you have included more and/or different variables? Explain your answer.
4. Examine the assumptions and limitations of the statistical study.
· What would you have done differently in this case? Why?
5. Identify how the authors applied statistical testing to the problem.
6. Interpret the findings of the author(s) using statistical concepts.
If you have any questions, please contact your instructor, we are here to help.
