WNCC SPRING 2006
PSY/SOC  210  STATISTICAL METHODS
Michael Costello, Ph.D.

e-mail: costel16@wncc.edu
web: www.wncc.edu/~costel16
online office hours: Mon/Wed  11:30pm - 1:00pm

Prerequisites: PSY 101 or SOC 101 and Math 96
Recommended: A hand-held calculator with regression/correlation (bivariate) capabilities (A Texas Instrument model TI-36X will work fine. They're $20 or so at Walmart.)

Text: Howell, D. (2004).  Fundamental Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences, 5th ed. 
ISBN: 0-534-39951-7

About the Course

Before you immerse yourself in all the details and rules of this course, please remember that you are welcome to e-mail me at any time with questions or concerns.

This is a four credit online course that introduces you to the statistical methods and logic used in the behavioral and biological sciences.  The majority of coursework will consist of readings, homework problems, online quizzes, two proctored (live and in-person) midterm exams, one proctored final exam, and bulletin board/message board assignments.  Although there are tremendous advantages to online courses (flexibility, independence, minimal travel), this course requires a little more discipline and a lot more independent effort than the traditional face-to-face statistics course in the classroom environment.  Generally speaking, a traditional four unit course requires eight hours of study per week in addition to the four hours of classroom time, which is translated into lesson plan time in this course.  Therefore, especially for the latter two thirds of the course, this course will require approximately eight to twelve hours per week.  The links below will help you decide whether or not this course is appropriate for you.

This is not a self-paced course.  You must proceed through the course at roughly the schedule posted below (see "Schedule of Course Work").  If you want or need a self-paced course, you should not enroll in this course.

What are the characteristics of online classes?  How do they differ from traditional classes?  www.wncc.edu/online/webtut/
What are the minimum requirements for my computer?  www.wncc.edu/elearning/minimum.php
How does this course compare to the same professor's traditional face-to-face statistics course in the classroom?  View the syllabus at  http://www.wncc.edu/~costel16/


How to Enroll/How to Withdraw

Register for the class via the WNCC web-reg online registration.  After you've registered, e-mail me to inform me that you are in the class.  Purchase the text, begin the readings, and read this syllabus.  After enrolling, if you decide not to continue in the class you MUST withdraw from the class using the appropriate forms from admissions and records or, if possible, through the web-reg system.  All names on the final course roster will receive a letter grade whether they have participated in the course or not.



Course Objectives

1.  Develop ability to think critically about data collection, analysis, and interpretation.
2.  Demonstrate ability to calculate solutions to common statistical problems.
3.  Interpret results responsibly and in plain English.
4.  Appreciate the conceptual and quantitative strengths and weaknesses of behavioral science research.
5.  Become proficient with statistical software in order to analyze data and interpret results.
6.  Ability to discriminate between statistical significance and functional significance.
7.  Ability to detect political dogma and pseudo science that often masquerades as behavioral science "research".
8.  Ability to discriminate quantitatively and objectively, rather than qualitatively and emotionally, between two or more competing theories.


Relation of Course to WNCC Goals

This course will emphasize critical thinking based on a logic that emphasizes a process of falsification.  Such a logic is quantifiable and, as we'll see, demonstrably superior to emotionally based decisions, political dogma, educational dogma, and personal experience.  We'll also emphasize college level writing skills and respectful, kind spirited debate of controversial issues in the life sciences.  This course will serve to improve your critical thinking skills that can be applied to a variety of academic domains.


Computer Skills Needed

Not much.  For a successful experience in this class, you should have the ability to communicate via e-mail, send and receive attachments in e-mail, and have access to the internet.  You should also have taken the WebCT tutorial (link is posted above) and have satisfied yourself that this course is appropriate for you.  Minimum hardware requirements can be found via the e-learning website link above.


Online Etiquette

Unlike traditional courses, all of our communication will occur through text.  In addition, online courses pose special challenges that are not encountered in traditional classrooms.  As a result, frustration with technology, course materials, and lack of nonverbal communication may lend itself to uncivil discourse.  My advice?  Let's each try to communicate in a friendly and patient manner!  If you feel like venting, you are welcome to vent through a private e-mail message to me.


Our Course Schedule

The purpose of this syllabus is to give you a good idea of the topics we'll cover and the order in which we'll cover them.  However, we dictate the pace of this course, the syllabus does not dictate the pace for us.  If we need to add or delete material, I'll let you know well in advance of any change.  The statistical methods literature is much too large to cover in one semester.  As a result, we will focus on methods that are currently the most promising, least dogmatic, and most central to the entire behavioral science field.


Statistics Text on Limited Reserve at the WNCC Library

I've placed a different statistics text than ours on limited reserve at the WNCC library.  It is available from the main check out counter for two hours at a time, in-library use only.  To check out the text, simply show your library card and give them the PSY/SOC 210 course title and my name.  The authors of the text are Vernoy & Vernoy and the title is something like Behavioral Statistics in Action (can't remember exact title, but this is close if not correct).  This is not required reading.  This is simply another text, similar to our own, that may help if Howell's explanation (author of our text) or my explanation is not clear.  It's usually helpful to hear the same topic explained from more than one source if you're unfamiliar with the material, so  it is in this spirit that the Vernoy & Vernoy text has been made available to you.  I'm sure there's other introductory statistics texts in our, or any, library as well for your potential benefit.  McCall (Fundamental Statistics for Behavioral Sciences) and Runyon & Haber (Fundamentals of Behavioral Statistics) are two other texts that may be helpful if you'd like to read the same material that we're discussing from another point of view.


Statistical Software for Data Analysis

Please refer to the module "Statcrunch Instructions" in the "Course Contents" section of the course for more complete information than is listed below.

You'll be able to use free statistical software without having to download anything by logging on to www.statcrunch.com   Should you choose to use the software, it will handle most of our data analysis needs.  What it doesn't handle can be done by hand or, if you're on the main WNCC campus, some of the computer labs (Cedar 331D) have Minitab loaded onto the computers which will work fine (Minitab is a statistical software package similar in execution to statcrunch). 

To use statcrunch for data analysis:
1. Log in to www.statcrunch.com
2. Register your name, username, password, occupation, etc.  It's simple and free.
3. Write down your username and password so you won't have any trouble upon subsequent visits to the site.
4. You do not need to download any software.  Simply log on, use the software for the data analysis portions of the class, log out, and you're done!

Instructions for how to input and analyze data using statcrunch can be found by clicking on the "Course Syllabus, Course Contents, Statcrunch Instructions" icon of the course home page and then clicking on the content module titled "Statcrunch Instructions"


Schedule of Course Work

WEEK	TOPIC	READINGS	ASSIGNMENT	DUE DATE
1: 1/23 through 1/27	definitions, scales of measurement, correlational vs. experimental methods, IVs and DVs, nominal, ordinal, interval, ratio scale variables	CH 1: all   CH 2: all entire syllabus	bulletin board assignment #1	BB #1 due 1/26 4pm
2: 1/30 through  2/3	graphing different types of variables, issues in graphical representation of data	CH 3: 42-50	homework #1, bulletin board assignment #2	HW #1 due 1/30 4pm, BB #2 due 2/3 4pm
3: 2/6 through 2/10	measures of central tendency (mean, median, mode) and variability (standard deviation, variance, range)	CH 4: all    CH 5: 72-82	homework #2, bulletin board assignment #3	HW #2 due 2/6, 4pm  BB #3 due 2/10, 4pm
4: 2/13 through 2/17	standard scores (z scores), what they are and why they're so useful, how to calculate, standard normal distribution, percentiles, comparing scores of different metric logically	CH 6: page 99 to top of page 112, then 114-115	homework #3, bulletin board assignment #4	HW #3 due 2/13 4pm,  BB #4 due 2/17 4pm
5: 2/20 through 2/24	logic of hypothesis testing, nature of statistical "significance", tests for one sample mean, use of statcrunch to analyze data from text, type I and type II errors, nature of sampling distributions, alpha, beta, two types of alternative hypotheses, formal statement of null and alternative hypotheses	CH 8: all    CH 12: pages  265 to middle of page 281	homework #4, Quiz #1	HW #4 due 2/21 4pm   Quiz #1 take between 8am and 8pm 2/24
6: 2/26 through 3/3	hypothesis testing with two sample means:  dependent measures and independent measures t tests, heterogeneity and homogeneity of variance, how to interpret t test results for two sample means	CH 13:pages 294 to middle page 302    CH 14: pages 308 to 320	midterm exam #1	take midterm exam #1 between 8am 3/1 and 8pm 3/2
7: 3/6 through 3/10	analysis of experimental designs with two OR MORE groups, the use of ANOVA, construction and interpretation of source table, examples from behavioral science research, use of statcrunch for simple ANOVA data analysis, post-test mean comparison techniques	CH 16: 355 through the bottom of page 380	homework #5, bulletin board assignment # 5	BB #5 due 3/6 4pm   HW #5 due 3/9, 4pm
8: 3/13 through 3/17	continue with simple ANOVA designs and post-test mean comparison techniques, If time allows, begin issues in factorial ANOVA designs: main effects and interaction effects, Minitab or our own hand-held calculators will handle factorial design analyses; statcrunch will not NOTE:  WEEK #9 IS SPRING BREAK:  CLASSES RESUME ON 3/27 OF WEEK #10	continue with issues in chapter 16	bulletin board assignment #6, homework #6	BB #6 due 3/15 4pm,  HW #6 due 3/17  4pm
10: 3/27 through 3/31	either continue with or begin factorial ANOVA designs, examples from published research, analyses by hand given some source table (variance estimate) information, main effects and interaction, how to construct a factorial source table, analyze and interpret results, graphing cell means , how to identify main effects and interactions from graphed data	CH 17: pages 399 to middle of page 411	homework #7, bulletin board assignment #7, Quiz #2	HW #7 due 3/27 4pm,  BB #7 due 3/29 4pm,  take Quiz #2 3/31 between 8am and 8pm
11: 4/3 through 4/7	continue with issues in CH 17, factorial ANOVA designs	continue with CH 17 readings	Midterm exam #2:  This exam only covers material since the first exam through simple ANOVA (CH 16).  CH 17 issues (factorial ANOVA) will not be covered on exam 2	Take exam 2 between 8am 4/5 and 8pm 4/6
12: 4/10 through 4/14	finish issues in factorial ANOVA, begin issues in correlation.  If need be, postpone beginning of correlation until week 13	continue with CH 17 readings, time permitting, CH 9: pages 163 through middle of page 187	bulletin board assignment #8  homework #8	BB #8 due 4/12 4pm,  HW #8 due 4/14 4pm
13: 4/17 through 4/21	correlation and covariance, information r and r-square gives you, two functions of correlation, plotting data	CH 10 : pages  203-221	bulletin board assignment #9	BB #9 due 4/21 4pm
14:  4/24 through 4/28	continue with issues in correlation and regression	continue with CH 10 readings	homework #9	HW #9 due 4/26 4pm
15: 5/1 through 5/5	continue with issues in correlation and regression, fitting regression line to the data, single variable regression, information given by the Y-intercept, slope, interpretation of regression equations	continue with readings in chapters 9 and 10	bulletin board assignment #10	BB #10 due 5/1 4pm
16: 5/8 through 5/12	the standard deviation of Y and the standard error of estimate, why knowledge of X helps reduce average error, simple chi-square, general discussion of non-parametric statistics	CH 19: pages 440 through 446	homework #10, bulletin board assignment #11, quiz #3	HW #10 5/8 4pm, BB#11  5/10, 4pm take Quiz #3 5/11 between 8am & 8pm
17: 5/15 through 5/16	FINAL EXAM		FINAL EXAM	Take  between 8am 5/15 & 8pm 5/16

Grading Policy and Points Per Assignment

ASSIGNMENT	TOTAL POINTS POSSIBLE
3 Quizzes at 25 points each	75
2 midterm exams at 90 points each	180
1 final exam at 100 points	100
10 homework assignments:  4 @ 10 points each;  6 @ at 20 points each	160
10 discussion/bulletin board participation assignments at 5 points each	50

COURSE GRADE	% OF TOTAL POINTS
A	>92
A-	90 - 92
B+	87 - 89
B	83 - 86
B-	80 - 82
C+	77 - 79
C	71 - 76
C-	68 - 70
D	57 - 67
F	< 57

Communication With Instructor and Other Students

You can send private messages to me through the WebCT e-mail system or via my WNCC e-mail address listed at the top of this syllabus.  For public postings and class discussions, we'll use the WebCT bulletin board.  Part of the course requirements include 10 separate postings per student on the bulletin board in response to a brief question or discussion topic that I've posted.  The flashing green lines around the bulletin board icon, or any icon for that matter, alerts you that a new message has been posted.   Bulletin board messages are a great way to converse with other students and they help to make up for the lack of face-to-face interaction in an online course.  I will respond to questions, bulletin board postings, and e-mails every day, including weekends (usually), so you can count on a prompt response from me.  There may be a few weekends during the semester when I'm not able to respond to questions or e-mails, but that will be the exception rather than the norm.

Exams and Quizzes

This course includes three quizzes and three exams.  The quizzes are taken electronically at your home or your worksite and consist of approximately 20 multiple choice questions (each quiz is 25 points; 15 questions at 1 point each; 5 questions at 2 points each).  Feedback from the quizzes will be immediate.

The midterm and final exams are taken in-person at either the Douglas, Fallon, or WNCC site and consist of a variety of short-answer, multiple choice, and calculation problems.  You will have a maximum of 90 minutes per exam, though you may not need that much time.  Only a writing instrument and a calculator are allowed on the exam.  The calculator cannot have programmed,  hand-written, or typed notes on it, nor can you bring in your study notes, textbook, cell phone, or your calculator instruction manual. 

Discussion/Bulletin Board Assignments

Part of your course grade requires that you participate in 10 of the 11 Discussion/Bulletin board assignments.  Which 10 of the 11 assignments you choose is up to you.  The assignments are listed under the "Assignments" icon on the course home page and are released a week or two in advance of the deadline.  Most assignments are short queries about your opinion on the topic of discussion or some other non-factual issue.  When there is a right or wrong answer, your grade is not contingent upon getting the answer correct but, rather, your honest effort.  Honest effort is considered more than an "I agree" or "I disagree".  Let us know what you're thinking.  The purpose of the discussions is to maintain some sense of community that face-to-face courses enjoy.  These assignments should not pose a problem for you.  I'll monitor your participation and assign you the 5 points when you contribute.  Choose 10 of 11, maximum 50 points for the participation.

Important:  You are encouraged and expected to use the discussion/bulletin board throughout the course for a variety of reasons.  It is only the "Discussion/Bulletin Board Assignments" that are graded.  In other words, some input is required (the assignments) but please feel free to contribute to the postings just as you would feel free to speak up, ask a question, make a comment, in a traditional face-to-face course.

Homework Assignments

About 28% of your course grade is based on the 10 homework assignments.  Four of the assignments are 10 points, 6 are worth 20 points.  The specifics of each assignment and their due dates are listed in the "Assignments" icon on the course home page.  Submit your homework to me via the WebCT e-mail.  Simply send in your answers, text and numbers, as a normal e-mail message to me by the due date and time.  You can send them as an attachment if you'd prefer, though that is not necessary.  I'll return your graded homework via email, with comments and grade.

Timely Submission of Work  (Please make sure you agree to the rules listed below before enrolling/continuing in this class)

I'm going to list some rules here, but first I want to let you know what I assume about each of you.  I assume that each of you is a  busy person with family responsibilities, work responsibilities, professional responsibilities, and personal responsibilities in addition to your academic responsibilities.  As a result, I understand that it is easy to procrastinate in any class, including this one.  Please do not let procrastination hurt you.  The due dates for the homework, quizzes, and exams cannot be extended.  Either you take them and submit them on time and get credit or you do not take them on time and therefore receive no credit.  Late submission of work is not an option and will not be accepted.  There are no "make-up" assignments and no "extra-credit" assignments in this class.  The only exception to this rule is for the proctored, in-person exams.  If a medical emergency exists that I can verify, a make-up exam will be granted.  A medical emergency is not a cold or the "flu".  A medical emergency is something a whole lot worse than a statistics exam and I sincerely hope none of you need invoke this rule!  I will verify with your doctor the nature of your medical emergency if one occurs before making arrangements with you for the exam.  If you're unlucky enough to need a make-up exam, it will not be the same exam taken by the others.


How and When to Submit Homework, Quizzes, Exams / Feedback on Your Assignments

The due dates of all course assignments can be found in three places:  On the "Course Calendar" icon of the course home page, on the "Assignments" icon of the course home page, and in this syllabus (above, under the heading "Schedule of Course Work").  The "Assignments" icon will allow you to see the specific nature, due date, and requirements of each assignment.

Homework problems will only be accepted via the WebCT e-mail system.  The easiest way to submit homework is to send the answers to the assignment as text in a typical WebCT e-mail message (simply work out the answers on some scratch paper and e-mail the final draft to me).   The WebCT e-mail system is easy to use and reliable (really!).  You can also send the assignment in the form of an attachment to a WebCT e-mail message, but attachments introduce an extra step that can lead to problems.  I'll grade your assignment and e-mail you your grade within a few days of submission.  You'll also have your graded homework assignment well in advance of an upcoming quiz or exam.   

Quizzes will be graded automatically and immediately by the WebCT software, so you will receive immediate feedback following a quiz. 

The two midterm exams and the final exam will be proctored exams and cannot be taken online.  This means that you will need to take the exams at either the Carson, Douglas, or Fallon campus.  You will have up to 90 minutes to complete each exam.  I keep the exams but will grade them immediately and e-mail you your score with a few words on what you did well and what you need to work on.  Those of you in the military must provide me with the name and contact information of the officer(s) in charge of proctoring exams so that I can make the appropriate arrangements.

Discussion/Bulletin Board assignments will be graded as you post your message - I'll simply check off that you've participated for that week and you will receive the five points for participation, assuming the input is more than a few words.

The WebCt system will allow you to monitor how you're doing in the class by allowing you access to your points-per-assignment.  I'll make sure that points are posted as soon as possible so you know how you're doing in the course.

How to take exams:  You will have a two day window to take each exam (military personnel have some flexibility here, of course).  You must make an appointment to take the exam and you must have picture identification with you in order to be admitted. 

The Carson testing center is open Mon-Thurs from 8am to 8pm and Fri from 8am to 5pm. 
The Douglas testing center is open Mon-Fri from 8am-5pm.
The Fallon testing center is open Mon-Thurs from from 9am to 8pm and Fri 9am to 4pm.  Saturday testing is possible.  Please call to confirm that this is a possibility.

For students who must drive a great distance in order to take the exams, please call ahead to the appropriate testing center a few hours in advance to confirm that the exam is physically there and waiting for you at the testing center.  In the unlikely event of a delivery error, this will save you time, expense, and frustration.  I'll do everything in my power to minimize the likelihood of a delivery error, or any error, in the testing procedure.

Please be aware that even though you have a two-day window to take each exam, and that each day may include the 8am to 8pm window, you must be finished with your exam by 8pm (or 4pm or 5pm, depending on day of week and location of testing center, see above).  You cannot begin an exam at 8pm if the office closes at 8pm.  Similarly, you cannot begin an exam at 5pm if the office closes at 5pm.  When the syllabus and assignments pages say to take an exam "between 8am and 8pm", they mean for you to "begin no earlier than 8am on the first day and submit your exam as complete no later than 8pm on the second day" for those offices open until 8pm.  Therefore, the latest you should schedule an exam on either day is 90 minutes before closing time, since you will probably want to use the full 90 minutes allowed.

The same logic applies to quizzes, for which you have a maximum of 20 minutes.  The cutoff time is 8pm, so do not begin a quiz later than 7:40pm on quiz day.

IMPORTANT:  It is your responsibility, not mine, to schedule your exams in a timely manner.  Please schedule your exam time at either the Carson, Douglas, or Fallon proctoring center at least a week before you intend to take the exam.  Due to the high volume of proctored exams in a variety of different courses, if you wait until the last minute to schedule an exam you run the risk of being denied a space in the allotted two day window.  If you do not take the exam within the two day window, you will receive a zero for that exam.  Please be aware of this rule BEFORE enrolling/continuing in the class. 

Contact Name/Number for Carson Campus Test Center: Elvia Garcia (elvia@wncc.edu or 775-445-4451)
Contact Number for Fallon Campus Test Center:  775-423-2278
Contact Name/Number for Douglas Campus Test Center:  Stephanie Freer (freers2@wncc.edu or 775-782-2413)


How Do I Know How I'm Doing In The Class?

Although you can figure it out given the point and grade distribution tables, feel free to e-mail me via the WebCT system with a request for an estimate of your standing in the class.  In this case, more information is better than less.

DISABILITY SUPPORT SERVICES (DSS)

Qualified students with documented disabilities can obtain assistance from DSS.  For assistance, contact the DSS in the Bristlecone Building, Room 103, 775-445-3266.  Qualified students must first meet with DSS staff before they can receive accommodations in a WNCC class.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

1981  B.A.   Psychology  University of California, Davis
1984  M.A.  Psychology  San Diego State University
1991  Ph.D. Psychology  University of California, Riverside

My research interests include comparative cognition in human and nonhuman primates, the relationship between foraging behavior and intelligence, and the adaptive vs. exaptive nature of primate and avian cognitive skills.  Research related positions include public and private work as a data analyst/statistical consultant and service as an ad-hoc editor for the American Journal of Primatology and as an ad-hoc grants reviewer for the National Geographic Society.  Most of my publications are found in the American Journal of Primatology.

As my research changes, so does my teaching.  Most of my teaching has been at the University of California, University of Redlands, The School For Field Studies, Grand Valley State University, WNCC, TMCC, and LTCC.  Typically, I teach courses in statistics, research methods, general psychology, animal behavior, physiological psychology, child development, critical thinking, and field courses in primate behavior in Costa Rica and Mexico.  Occasionally, I teach courses in cognitive psychology, history of psychology, biological anthropology, and learning & memory.