PSY 3010 – Spring 2016

Psychological Statistics
PSY 3010 | Spring 2015
Contact Information
Instructor Teaching Assistant
Jonathan E. Friedel, MS Fiona Molsberry
jefriedel@aggiemail.usu.edu fionamolsberry@yahoo.com
435-797-5553

Office:
Education 450
Logan Campus

Office Hours:
By appointment

Selected Course Objectives:

To understand the selection, computation, and interpretation of descriptive and inferential statistics, including:

1. organizing, describing, transforming, and graphing data

2. measures of central tendency and variability
3. the normal distribution
4. hypothesis testing and estimation with 1 and 2 samples
5. hypothesis testing for k samples: 1-way ANOVA; and subsequent post hoc, multiple comparison
procedures
6. 2-way ANOVA with interactions; repeated measures ANOVA
7. correlation; linear regression; prediction
8. Chi square tests for frequencies for 1 and 2 samples

To understand the utilization and interpretation of SPSS for Windows, including working with:

1. data files, variables, and cases

2. creating SPSS charts/graphs
3. frequencies
4. descriptive statistics
5. one sample, paired samples, and independent samples t tests
6. one way ANOVA; post hoc comparisons
7. 2-way ANOVA; repeated measures ANOVA
8. correlation
9. chi square tests
10. cross tabulations and two way contingency tables

Hand Calculations

The purpose of learning to calculate statistics by hand is to ensure that you genuinely understand the theory
and conceptualization of all statistics you learn and use. However, when you are working with a professor on
his or her research or completing your own independent research in graduate school or later in your
undergraduate career, you will do your statistical analyses on the computer.
 PSY 3010 – Spring 2016
Course Requirements and Resources

Required Text: Essentials of Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences, (8th ed.) F.J. Gravetter & L.B.
Wallnau (2014)

DO NOT PURCHASE A HARD COPY OF THIS TEXTBOOK! We will be using the

online homework management system, Aplia. Aplia will manage homework for this
course, and their service includes an electronic copy of the text. If you purchase a hard
copy of the text, you will still need to purchase the Aplia service in order to complete the
assignments.

Statistical Software

Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) is, by far, the most commonly used program for
computing statistics in psychology and related fields. You must learn how to use SPSS if you expect to
efficiently engage in research at any point in your education or career. SPSS is a program that can be
purchased – it is not available with your textbook. All USU distance education sites have SPSS installed
on lab computers. The software is fairly expensive so most sites only have it on one or two computers
and you may have to hunt or ask around for it. Most students complete their SPSS tests and assignments
on the campus computers. For those of you who do not have the option of attending a USU distance
education site, you have two options. Firstly, you can lease the program from several online retailers for
6 months. The cost of the 6-month lease for the basic statistics package is about $40 -
http://www.onthehub.com/spss/. The current version of SPSS is 22.0. However, if you have access to a
used version, you can save money by using the older version (anything later than version 16.0 will
work). Secondly, you can connect to https://apps.usu.edu and connect to USU’s network to use Citrix
Receiver and use a free copy of SPSS that you have access to as a student. With this method, you are
connecting remotely to the University’s system and accessing SPSS though a virtual machine. This
method of connecting to the University’s system is free but may be cumbersome to set up so please plan
ahead and check that it works before an assignment or exam is due. The USU IT department has
developed a guide to help set up the Citrix Receiver.

Calculators

Calculators with statistical functions are required for computations. If you are buying a new calculator
for use in this course, buy one that will automatically do statistical functions for 1 and 2 variables. Then
learn to use it as early in the course as possible.
 PSY 3010 – Spring 2016
Aplia

A subscription to Aplia is required to complete the course homework. Aplia is integrated with the
Canvas course page. You will need to synchronize your Aplia account to Canvas the first time you try to
connect to Aplia. This synchronization will only need to be completed once.

Payment
After registering for your course, you will need to pay for access using one of the options below:
• Online: You can pay online using a credit or debit card, or PayPal.
• Bookstore: You may be able to purchase access to Aplia at your bookstore. Check with the
bookstore to find out what they offer for your course.
o You should have received a code from the bookstore (or wherever you obtained your
course materials)
• Free Trial: You can access Aplia until 11:59 PM on 01/31/2016 during your free trial. After the
free trial ends you will be required to pay for access.

Please note: At the end of the free trial period, your course access will be suspended until your
payment has been made. All your scores and course activity will be saved and will be available to
you after you pay for access.

System Check

To check whether your computer meets the requirements for using Aplia, go to
http://www.aplia.com/support/config.jsp

Course Activities

SPSS and computational take-home tests

Each exam is a 50-point take-home exam that evaluates SPSS and computation skills. Take home tests
will be posted on the Canvas assignments page one week before the due date (two weeks before for the
final). You can download the take home portions at your leisure – they are open book and you can work
on them in groups if you choose. However, every exam must contain only your own work. If there are
questions in which you are to make up your own data bases, if these data bases are the same as anyone
else’s in the class, you and any others involved will receive a zero for that particular test. In other words,
it is okay to discuss the test with others. It is not ok to set up one problem together, answer it, and make
multiple copies of the answer. If you have any questions as to what is or is not acceptable collaboration
on an exam, please contact us.

Take home exams must be scanned and uploaded (as a pdf) to the assignments link on Canvas by the
end of the day on the due date (see the schedule at the end of the syllabus). Late tests will be accepted
for 10 days after the due date with a 10% late penalty for each day.

Because time is tight at the end of the semester, there will be no late grace period for the last take
home exam. All final exams must be turned in on their due date. All late final exams will receive a
zero. No exceptions.
 PSY 3010 – Spring 2016
Weekly Canvas Quizzes

Each week, a multiple choice, True/False, and matching quiz, worth 10 - 15 points, will be administered
on Canvas. Canvas quizzes are timed and will be available on Canvas throughout the week until 11:45
pm on Fridays (see the schedule at the end of this syllabus). You also get two attempts at the quizzes;
your highest score will be your final score. After the due dates, quizzes cannot be made up, but your
final quiz grade will drop your lowest weekly grade. Thus, you can miss one quiz with no consequence.
This policy is in place to give you the flexibility to deal with the stresses and unexpected challenges that
you may face during the semester, so please do not request make up quizzes.

Aplia Homework

You will be able to access the homework after the deadline, but you will not be able to submit anything.
Please attend closely to these deadlines so that you earn all possible points.

SPSS Labs

SPSS labs are devoted to learning how to complete and interpret all analyses using the software SPSS.
Recorded demonstrations provide instructions for completing each statistical procedure. Download and
follow the written instructions to complete the assignments on SPSS. Remember that you must be
working on a computer that has SPSS installed on it in order to complete the assignments. SPSS labs are
scheduled to correspond with the introduction of the theory and computations from the Gravetter and
Wallnau text. Because it is not feasible to pass homework back and forth by mail for grading, these
assignments will not be graded for credit. Answer keys will be made available on Canvas so that you
can grade your own assignments.

It is very important that you complete and grade the SPSS assignments in accordance with the schedule,
as SPSS tasks comprise approximately half of every take home exam. If you do not complete the SPSS
labs you are at a severe disadvantage for the exams.

Course Policies

Academic Dishonesty

The consequence for cheating on any assignment or test is a zero grade, and immediate referral to the
university’s academic standards committee. See the section below on Academic Honesty.

Rounding numbers

Do not round numbers you are computing until the final answer. Rounding numbers at each step in
calculating results in answers that may be significantly different than the keyed answers for both exams
and homework. Therefore, round only your final answer (to two decimal places) only after all
calculations have been performed.
 PSY 3010 – Spring 2016
University Policies

Students with Disabilities

Students with ADA-documented physical, sensory, emotional or medical impairments may be eligible
for reasonable accommodations. Veterans may also be eligible for services. All accommodations are
coordinated through the Disability Resource Center (DRC) in Room 101 of the University Inn,
(435)797-2444 voice, (435)797-0740 TTY, (435)797-2444 VP, or toll free at 1-800-259-2966. Please
contact the DRC as early in the semester as possible. Alternate format materials (Braille, large print or
digital) are available with advance notice.

Honor Pledge

Students will be held accountable to the Honor Pledge which they have agreed to: "I pledge, on my
honor, to conduct myself with the foremost level of academic integrity."

Academic Honesty

The Instructor of this course will take appropriate actions in response to Academic Dishonesty, as
defined by the University's Student Code. Acts of academic dishonesty include but are not limited to:

• Cheating: (1) using or attempting to use or providing others with any unauthorized assistance in
taking quizzes, tests, examinations, or in any other academic exercise or activity, including
working in a group when the instructor has designated that the quiz, test, examination, or any
other academic exercise or activity be done "individually"; (2) depending on the aid of sources
beyond those authorized by the instructor in writing papers, preparing reports, solving problems,
or carrying out other assignments; (3) substituting for another student, or permitting another
student to substitute for oneself, in taking an examination or preparing academic work; (4)
acquiring tests or other academic material belonging to a faculty member, staff member, or
another student without express permission; (5) continuing to write after time has been called on a
quiz, test, examination, or any other academic exercise or activity; (6) submitting substantially the
same work for credit in more than one class, except with prior approval of the instructor; or (7)
engaging in any form of research fraud.

• Falsification: altering or fabricating any information or citation in an academic exercise or

activity.

• Plagiarism: representing, by paraphrase or direct quotation, the published or unpublished work of

another person as one's own in any academic exercise or activity without full and clear
acknowledgment. It also includes using materials prepared by another person or by an agency
engaged in the sale of term papers or other academic materials.

The complete Code of Policies and Procedures for Students at Utah State University can be viewed
at:http://www.usu.edu/studentservices/studentcode/.
 PSY 3010 – Spring 2016
Grades

Your grade will be based on the following:

Items Percentage
Exams 45

Quizzes 20

Homework 35

Please note that the grades in Canvas are presented as points. However, your grade is based on how the
percentage of points you obtain in each section. (For example, the Exams will be 45% of your final grade).
See specific Canvas assignments for how many points each item is worth.

Grade Percentage
A 93 - 100

A- 90 - 92

B+ 87 - 89

B 83 - 86

B- 80 - 82

C+ 77 - 79

C 73 - 76

C- 70 - 72

D+ 67 - 69

D 60 - 66

F 0 - 59
 PSY 3010 – Spring 2016
Course Schedule
HOMEWORK DUE EXAM TOPICS
WEEK MATERIAL CONTENT Aplia Relevant Take Home Canvas
Assignments SPSS Lab Exams Quizzes

Experimental Introduction and

1/11 - Syllabus Course Policy
method; data types; Math Review
1/15 Chapter 1 Quiz
scales; notation Due Thursday 1/14
Frequency
1/18 – Chapter 2 Chapter 1 – 2 Friday 1/22
distributions; Mean,
1/22 Chapter 3 Due Thursday 1/21 Chapters 1 – 2
median, mode
Variation – range,
variance, standard Hand out Take
1/25 – Chapter 4 Chapters 3 -4 SPSS Lab Friday 1/29
deviation; Normal home 1 Thursday
1/29 Chapter 5 Due Thursday 1/28 1&2 Chapters 3 - 4
distribution; z 1/28 (Ch. 1 – 5)
scores
Probability;
Chapter 6 Chapter 5 Thursday 2/4: Friday 2/5
2/1 – 2/5 distribution of
Chapter 7 Due Thursday 2/4 Take home 1 due Chapter 5
sample means
Chapter 6 and 7 Friday 2/12
2/8 - 2/12 Chapter 8 Hypothesis testing
Due Thursday 2/11 Chapters 6 - 7
Hand out Take
2/15 - Chapter 8 Friday 2/19
Chapter 9 One-sample t-test SPSS Lab 3 home 2 Thursday
2/19 Due Thursday 2/18 Chapter 8
2/18 (Ch. 6 – 9)
2/22 - Independent Chapter 9 Due Thursday 2/25: Monday 2/29
Chapter 10 SPSS Lab 4
2/26 samples t-test Thursday 2/25 Take home 2 due Chapter 9

Dependent samples Chapter 10 Due Friday 10/23

2/29 - 3/4 Chapter 11 SPSS Lab 5
t-test Thursday 3/3 Chapter 10

3/7 – 3/11 Spring Break

Hand out Take
3/14 – ANOVA I – one- Chapter 11 Due SPSS Lab 6 Friday 3/18
Chapter 12 home 3 Thursday
3/18 way ANOVA Thursday 3/17 Chapter 11
3/17 (Ch. 10-12)
3/21 – ANOVA II – Chapter 12 SPSS Lab 7 Thursday 3/24: Friday 3/25
Chapter 13
3/25 repeated measures Due Thursday 3/24 Take home 3 due Chapter 12

ANOVA III – Chapter 13 – part I Friday 4/1

3/28 – 4/1 Chapter 13 SPSS Lab 8
factorial designs Due Thursday 3/31 Chapter 13RM

Chapter 13 – part Friday 4/8

Correlation and
4/4 – 4/8 Chapter 14 II Due Thursday SPSS Lab 9 Chapter 13
Regression
4/7 2-way
Monday 4/15
4/11 – Correlation and Chapter 14 – part I
Chapter 14 Chapter 14
4/15 Regression Due Thursday 4/14
correlation
Chapter 14 – part Friday 4/22
4/18 – Chi Square 1 & 2
Chapter 15 II Due Thursday SPSS Lab 10 Chapter 14
4/22 variable; cross tabs
4/21 regression
Hand out Take
4/25 – Chapter 15 Due Friday 4/29
Chapter 15 & catch up time home 4 Tuesday
4/29 Thursday 4/28 Chapter 15
4/28 (Ch. 13 – 15)
5/2 – 5/6 Exam 4: Chs 13-15, SPSS labs 7 - 10 / Take home 4 due May 3 at 1:20 pm
 PSY 3010 – Spring 2016
A Comment on the Schedule: Because the first exam and part of the second exam are comprised of review
material from Statistics 1040 and because that material lays the foundation for the more advanced statistics
we cover later in the course, it so happens that the tests and homework become progressively harder (and
more time consuming) as we move through the semester. If you find that you are doing very well on the first
two exams, do not become complacent. Continue to do ALL of the homework assignments, read carefully,
and listen to the recorded lectures.

If you become lax during the second half of the semester, you are in for a rude shock when you get to the
third and fourth exams. I am not trying to scare you, nor am I a mean instructor who wants to “make you
suffer” at the end of the semester. I am just committed to teaching you the more advanced techniques so that
you can be a more effective researcher, and there is no way to balance the work more evenly across the
semester because you must learn the easier content before you can tackle the harder content. Consider this
advice as you plan your semester.