Psychological Science: Statistics for Psych Sci

Analysis of quantitative data in psychology. Calculation and interpretation of common statistical tests, including t-test, correlation, regression, chi-square, and ANOVA. Laboratory experiences. Prerequisite: PSYS 2000 or PSYS 2002.

Prereqs: PSYS 2002; Asynchronous online

This course is part of a pilot program that will be using Brightspace, UVM's new learning platform that's replacing Blackboard. Since only a limited number of courses will be piloting Brightspace this coming semester, you are still likely to have courses in Blackboard as well. For more information on Brightspace: go.uvm.edu/brightspace-pilot Course Description: This course is designed to introduce you to using statistics to explore questions in psychology. The major purposes of this course are to provide you with the tools to conduct basic statistical tests in psychology and to aid in developing statistical reasoning skills. Selected departmental learning goals that most pertain to this course include: (1) operationalizing theories to predict (and interpret) empirical findings in psychology; (2) identifying strengths and limitations of research designs; and (3) effective use of technical terminology (especially as relates to statistical analysis). The lab section of this course is presented in the service of a project of your choosing and will offer you an intensive hands-on experience in the quantitative research process. It is designed for those who are interested in developing skills that are useful for working with data and using statistical tools to analyze them. No prior experience with data or statistics is required. Our approach is “statistics in the service of questions”. As such, the research question that you choose (from data sets made available to you) is of paramount importance to your learning experience. It must interest you enough that you will be willing to spend many hours thinking about it and analyzing data having to do with it. In the lab section, you will develop skills:1) generating testable hypotheses; 2) understanding large data sets; 3) formatting and managing data; 4) conducting descriptive and inferential statistical analyses; and 5) presenting results for expert and novice audiences. The course offers one-on-one support from Professor Breslend and the graduate-level teaching assistants (through office hours) in the training in the skills required to complete a project of your own design. These skills will prepare you to work in many different research labs across the University that collect empirical data. It is also an opportunity to understand how we investigate problems in a scientific manner using statistics. You will complete a series of labs and assignments that will help you learn the statistical concepts used in psychological science. These labs will also help you complete your final paper. ***This course is part of a pilot program that will be using Brightspace, UVM's new learning platform that's replacing Blackboard. Since only a limited number of courses will be piloting Brightspace this coming semester, you may have courses in Blackboard as well. For more information on Brightspace: go.uvm.edu/brightspace-pilot***

In a typical in-person course you would be responsible for learning 13-15 chapters worth of content and taking four large exams. In addition, this is a 4-credit lab class so you are also responsible for completing 1 credit worth of lab work. In this fast-paced, online course you will learn the same content over four weeks. You will be responsible for completing four to eight chapters worth of content and associated assignments per week. At UVM, you are expected to complete 3 hours of work per credit hour per week over a 15 week semester. This equates to a total of 180 hours spent on the course. As such, you should plan to spend approximately 40 hours per week on this course for four weeks. I know this is a lot of time but I will be here to help guide you and I hope this will be such a fun course that the time will fly by!

Course grades will be based on the following outlined assignments. NO LATE ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED. 1. LaunchPad Quizzes (15% total [1% per quiz X 15 quizzes]) You will be graded on 15 of the 16 assigned quizzes (meaning that you can drop ONE quiz from your final grade). These LaunchPad quizzes are meant to be an adaptive learning tool. These “quizzes” have gaming elements built in that will help you actively process the course material in a fun way. You must answer a minimum number of questions correctly to earn a passing grade. You may answer questions until you reach the grade you want! 2. Interpreting Statistical Results assignments (5% total [.33% per Interpreting Statistical Results assignment X 15 assignments]): You will be graded on 15 of the 16 assigned Interpreting Statistical Results assignments (meaning that you can drop ONE Interpreting Statistical Results assignments grades). 3. Write to Learn Assignments (30% [3% per assignment X 10 assignments]): You will be graded on 10 of the 11 assigned Write to Learn assignments (meaning that you can drop ONE WTL assignment grade). These assignments are designed to help you connect the psychological concepts from the course to the real-world. You will critically think about the course material during these assignments. These will not be assignments you can do by quickly skimming the material. They are meant for you to work through as you go through the course content for that week. Make sure to read this assignment BEFORE reading the textbook or watching any of the videos for the module. You should answer each question fully. You should define concepts in your own words clearly and make connections to real-world examples when applicable. Pretend that I do not know anything about psychology- teach me! Why am I asking you to complete these Write to Learn assignments? Research has shown that coming up with your own examples, critically thinking about concepts, and applying concepts to your own life are helpful ways to learn new material. You will retain more and be better prepared to engage in more advanced psychology courses in the future! How will these assignments be graded? Each part of each question on your Write to Learn assignment will be graded as either completely correct or completely incorrect (there will be no partial credit for any given part of a question). HOWEVER, you will be given the opportunity to revise the questions you answered incorrectly in the first round. You should NOT expect to get every question correct on your first round and that is OKAY! This is an opportunity for you to revise your understanding of the concept and learn! Here is how it will work: 1. You will submit your WTL assignments (see schedule) 2. We will get you your graded WTL back (see schedule) 3. If you choose, you will spend the next several days revising your assignment. Note that we will not be answering these questions for you in our feedback, it is your responsibility to use your textbook, any course materials, and/or meet with us during office hours. 4. Your revised WTL assignment is due by the date on the grading schedule. If you do not turn in your WTL by the first deadline, you may NOT submit one for the revision deadline. This process is to help you think about and learn the material and is not designed to allow you to delay deadlines. 4. Lab Assignments (20% [4% per assignment X 5 assignments]): Each week you will complete a practical lab assignment. These assignments are designed to help you learn statistical techniques and will help you complete your final project. The assignments will be graded using a 5-point scale (0-4). A lab that is turned in on time and contains no errors is 4 points. A lab that is turned in on time and completed with care and clear effort is 3 points. A lab that is turned in on time but done poorly (weak effort, failure to incorporate feedback from previous labs) is 1-2 points. Labs which are not turned in, or are turned in late and unexcused, will receive no credit (0 points). You must make a genuine effort to complete the work. No credit will be awarded for poor and sloppy work. 5. Final Project (30%): Each week you will complete a practical lab assignment. These assignments are designed to help you learn statistical techniques and will help you complete your final project. To integrate the skills learned in our Statistics for Psychological Science, you will write a complete individual research report during this course. This report will be based on survey data from the Add Health research study. Paper length should not exceed 10 pages, excluding figures, tables, and references. A paper guide with more details is located on Blackboard under “Final Paper Guidelines.” The final paper is due: Friday, August 12th by 11:59 p.m. No late submissions will be accepted. Summary of Course Requirements Course Requirement Percentage of Course Grade LaunchPad Quizzes (15) 15% Interpreting Statistical Results: LaunchPad (15) 5% Write to Learn Assignments (10) 30% Lab Assignments (5) 20% Final Project 30% TOTAL 100%