Research Methods & Statistics I

PSYC 281
Winter 2016

Instructor: Daniel Peterson (dpeterso@knox.edu)

Office: SMC E-130
Office hours: MWF 10:30 11:30 and by appt.
Teaching Assistant: Emily Corwin-Renner (ercorwinrenner@knox.edu)

Required Text
Gravetter, F. J., & Wallnau, L. B. (2009). Statistics for the behavioral sciences, 9th edition. Belmont, CA:
Wadsworth Publishing.

Additional Materials
You will need a calculator for this course. You can use any calculator with a square root button.

Course Description & Objectives

This course will introduce you to basic statistical principles used in psychological research. This is
important for your success in Psyc 360/1 (independent research) and will help you develop your critical
thinking skills.

By the end of this course you should:

(1) Understand how to present data in a numeric format
(2) Select and conduct the appropriate statistical procedure for various research designs
(3) Be able to use SPSS to perform these statistical procedures and to interpret the results of
these analyses
(4) Understand how/why statistics are essential tools for the science of psychology.

COURSE COMPONENTS

Video Lectures
Prior to each class meeting you will be expected to watch the relevant video lecture online. On the
provided handout you will find a list of the URLs and passwords for each lecture.

In-Class Problem Sets

Most days you will be working with a partner on problems from the textbook. This is your opportunity to
gain additional practice working on the various concepts presented in the course, and to ask me or Emily
any questions you have.

Daily Quizzes
Following the in-class problem set you will be given a daily quiz on the relevant concepts presented that
day. Conceptually, these problems will be no different than those youve worked on in the in-class
problem set, though you will complete this individually, and your work will be graded.
Excel / SPSS Problem Sets
A few days throughout the term we will meet in the computer lab to review how software can aid us in
various statistical tests. Following these demonstrations, you will be asked to complete a problem set
using the software in the prescribed manner for a grade.

Exams
There will be three exams in the course, including a cumulative final exam during the final exam period.
With the exception of Exam 1 (which is exclusively a written exam), each exam will consist of two
components. The first component will be a written portion of multiple choice questions and short
answer questions that involve computations. The second component will assess your ability to use SPSS
as a tool to perform statistical procedures. If you are going to miss an exam for whatever reason, let me
know in advance as soon as possible. We can schedule a time for you to take the missed exam at a later
date.

GRADING
Daily quizzes / Computer problem sets: 20%
Exam 1: 25%
Exam 2: 25%
Final Exam: 30%

A 93 100% C 73 77%
A- 90 92% C- 70 72%
B+ 88 89% D+ 68 69%
B 83 87% D 63 67%
B- 80 82% D- 60 62%
C+ 78 79% F 59% and below

Getting absences excused for illnesses and emergencies

You might get sick during this term or experience other emergencies that prevent you from attending
class. In these events, there are some important steps you need to take. 1) If you are ill, call, then visit
the Knox Health Center or other medical provider. 2) Call or email Dean Lori Schroeders office to inform
her of your illness and then medical steps you have taken or of the nature of your emergencyher staff
will inform your professors. Absences are considered excused if I am notified AND if you provide
documentation or some way to verify your emergency. Planned trips that are non-academic, such as a
wedding, do not qualify for excused absences. 3) Request the problem set list from a classmate to catch
up on missed material.

Class Policies
Class Start and End Time
Class will start promptly at 9:20am, so be sure to be in your seat ready to work then. As for the end of
class, it is a pet peeve of mine when students start packing up before class has ended. Its disrespectful
to me and is disruptive to your classmates who are still trying to pay attention. Be sure to avoid this
behavior and I will be sure to respect your time as well, making sure class does not go over our allotted
time.
Academic Honesty
The Honor Code is in effect at all times to ensure the integrity of our learning experiences. The
consequences of breaching the code are serious including failure of the course. I take this very seriously
and hope you all will as well.

Electronic Devices
All electronic devices (cell phones, mp3 players, etc.) should be turned off prior to coming to class.
Additionally I would prefer students not bring their laptops to class. If you feel that a laptop is critical
for your note-taking come talk to me and we will work something out.

Resources
Academic: Apart from me and your TA, free tutoring is available in Seymour Library (Red Room),
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays (7-9pm).
http://www.knox.edu/Offices-and-Services/Center-for-Teaching-and-Learning/Red-Room-Schedule.html
Lecture Topic URL Password
1 Introduction https://vimeo.com/73819613 Mickey
2 Frequency Distributions https://vimeo.com/73819614 Estelle
3 Central Tendency https://vimeo.com/73819615 Leo
4 Variability https://vimeo.com/73819616 Puddy
5 z-scores & Probability https://vimeo.com/73819618 Lippman
6 Sampling Distributions https://vimeo.com/73913237 Frank
7 Hypothesis Testing https://vimeo.com/73913238 Jackie
8 Single Sample t https://vimeo.com/73913239 Susan
9 Independent Samples t https://vimeo.com/73913242 Peterman
10 Paired Samples t https://vimeo.com/73913243 Pitt
11 ANOVA https://vimeo.com/73937407 Morty
12 Repeated Measures ANOVA https://vimeo.com/73937408 Davola
13 Factorial ANOVA https://vimeo.com/73937409 Wilhelm
14 Correlation https://vimeo.com/73937410 Newman
15 Regression https://vimeo.com/74204568 Bania
16 Chi-Square https://vimeo.com/73952674 Helen
Date Topic Reading (sections to omit)
M: 1/4 Welcome to PSYC 281 Appendix A on p.677: OPTIONAL
W: 1/6 1. Introduction to Statistics Chapter 1
F: 1/8 2. Frequency Distributions Chapter 2 (2.6)

M: 1/11 3. Central Tendency Chapter 3

W: 1/13 4. Variability Chapter 4
F: 1/15 Computer Lab: Descriptive Statistics

M: 1/18 5. z-scores & Probability Chapters 5&6

W: 1/20 Exam 1 Review
F: 1/22 EXAM 1

M: 1/25 6. Sampling Distributions Chapter 7

W: 1/27 7. Hypothesis Testing Chapter 8
F: 1/29 8. Single Sample t-tests Chapter 9

M: 2/1 9. Independent Samples t-test Chapter 10

W: 2/3 10. Paired Samples t-tests Chapter 11
F: 2/5 Computer Lab: t-tests

M: 2/8 Exam 2 Review

W: 2/10 Reading Day (No Class)
F:2/12 EXAM 2

M: 2/15 11. Analysis of Variance Chapter 12

W: 2/17 12. Repeated Measures ANOVA Chapter 13
F: 2/19 Computer Lab: ANOVA
 Date Class / Lab Topic Reading
M: 2/22 13.Computer Lab: Factorial ANOVA Chapter 14 (14.3, 14.4)
W: 2/24 14. Correlation Chapter 15 (15.5)
F: 2/26 15. Regression Chapter 16 (16.4)

M: 2/29 Computer Lab: Correlation & Regression

W: 3/2 16. Chi-Square Chapter 17
F: 3/4 Computer Lab: Chi-Square

M: 3/7 Final Exam Review

TBD FINAL EXAM