stats1

WNCC FALL 2005
PSY 210 STATISTICAL METHODS
MON/WED 4:00 - 6:45

Michael Costello, Ph.D.
costel16@wncc.edu
Text: Howell, D. (2004). Fundamental Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences, 5th ed.

DATE	TOPICS	READINGS
8/29 8/31	statistics, parameters, samples, populations, correlational and experimental methods (p. 10 says "differences vs. relationships"), scales of measurement, experimental design, summations notation, basics of graphing: keep it clear, simple, and informative	entire syllabus, CH 1, 2: all CH 3: 42-50
9/7	wrap up issues in graphing, begin issues in measures of central tendency (mean, median, mode) and measures of variability (range, standard deviation, variance)	CH 4, 5: all
9/12 9/14	continue with standard deviation and variance, begin z-scores, why they're useful, the standard normal distribution and table E.10	CH 6: all
9/19 9/21	the logic of hypothesis testing, null and alternative hypotheses, sampling distributions QUIZ 1 9/26	CH 8: all
9/26 9/28	continue with the logic and method of hypothesis testing: type I and type II errors, the nature of statistical "significance", directional (one-tailed) and nondirectional (two-tailed) tests, single sample t-tests, how CH 8 principles are used in typical life science research, explanation of page 289	CH 12: 265-282
10/3 10/5	independent two-sample t-tests, logic is the same - the question is slightly different, and therefore so is the way we answer the question empirically, examples from published research EXAM 1 10/3	CH 14: 308-320
10/10 10/12	assess how we're doing, take more time with issues in chapters 8,12 and 14 if needed. If not, begin hypothesis testing in experimental conditions with 2 or more groups: one-way (simple) analysis of variance (ANOVA)	CH 16: 355-386
10/17 10/19	continue with CH 16 and the calculation, interpretation of multi-group designs, construction and interpretation of source tables, examples from psychological research QUIZ 2 10/26
10/24 10/26	post-test mean comparisons, conclude with issues in simple ANOVA, begin the conceptual approach to factorial ANOVA designs
10/31 11/2	main effects and interaction: calculation and interpretation, why 2 IVs are very informative in experimental research, plotting cell means	CH 17: 399-411
11/7 11/9	continue with factorial ANOVA calculations and interpretation of results: what the main effect and interaction F values do and do not tell you, examples from psychological research EXAM 2 11/7
11/14 11/16	correlation and covariance, Pearson product-moment correlation (r) and the information it gives you, it's two primary functions, examples from psychological research, coefficient of determination and the information it gives you (r-square and 1.0 minus r-square)	CH 9: 163-187
11/21	continue with issues in correlation and covariance, plotting XY data, calculating and visualizing the linear relationship in the data
11/28 11/30	linear regression, the general linear equation and it's function, slope, Y-intercept, interpretation and definitions, examples from psychological and biological research, the standard deviation of Y and the standard error of estimate QUIZ 3 11/28	CH 10: 203-221
12/5 12/7	the relationship between correlation, covariance, and linear regression, finish issues in regression and correlation, simple chi-square	CH 19: 440-447
12/12	FINAL EXAM

ABOUT THE COURSE

This is an introductory statistics course for students of any major. I would like you to attend all meetings, ask questions, participate in discussion, and respect the contributions of your classmates. To make your experience as stress-free and effortless as possible, all you need is perfect attendance and honest effort. Some of our meetings will be spent helping you in your homework and quiz assignments. Thirty minutes of class discussion can save you many hours of potentially difficult study. Simple attendance and an attentive attitude will save you time and effort in this class.

The objectives of this course include the following:
(1) ability to think critically about data collection, analysis, and interpretation, (2) calculate solutions to common statistical problems, (3) interpret results responsibly, quantitatively and in plain English, (4) appreciate the conceptual and quantitative issues surrounding social science research, (5) become proficient with statistical software in order to analyze data and interpret results, (6) develop an appreciation for the strengths and weaknesses of inferential statistics toward the detection of trends in nature, and (7) ability to ask relevant questions about human variability and detect irrational factual claims from any science that quantifies the behavior of living organisms.

These objectives are surprisingly easy to achieve. They require simply a positive attitude, excellent attendance, and a nominal level of curiosity about the nature of people.

To the extent that you want or need a good grade in this class, consider the following advice: treat lecture like study; that is, pay attention, take notes, ask questions, make comments, speak up! Your attendance should be perfect. People who miss lecture/discussion tend not to do well in this class. Typical meetings will include some combination of lecture, handouts (including lecture outlines), overheads, individual exercises, and group exercises. If you miss class, get notes from at least two classmates.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU MISS A MEETING

You are responsible for everything that occurs during each meeting, whether you are present or not. If you miss a meeting, get notes and handouts from at least two classmates. Although I respect your consideration and thank you in advance for your courtesy (really!), please do not e-mail me if you anticipate missing a meeting OR if you have missed a meeting and are wondering what you missed. This is not actionable information (that is, there's nothing I can do about it). Rather, simply get notes from classmates and show up attentive and alert for the next meeting. However, as always, feel free to ask me if you have any questions about due dates, our schedule, how you're doing in the class, etc.

OUR LECTURE SCHEDULE

The purpose of this syllabus is to give you a good idea of the topics we'll discuss and the order in which we'll discuss 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 statistics literature is much too large to cover in one semester. As a result, we will focus on issues that are currently the most common and most central to the entire field.

HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS

The following homework assignments will represent a large portion of your course grade. Homework problems will come from your text and from class handouts. Late homework assignments will be accepted, but will only receive a maximum of half credit. Trivial or rare social science quantitative methods will not be included in your assignments. Rather, the homework will emphasize techniques typically used and published in peer reviewed academic research journals. Please note that if we move faster or slower than anticipated, the due dates for the homework assignments will change accordingly. Our pace will depend upon how comfortable the majority of folks are with the material we are discussing at the time.

ASSIGNMENT #	PAGES	PROBLEM #	DUE DATE
1	28-29	1,7,8,9,19	9/7
2	53-54	6,7,8,18 plus handout problems	9/14
3	70-71 96	10,17, plus handout problems 1,2,3,4,5	9/19
4	116-117	1,2,14, plus handout problems	9/21
5	161	3,4,5, plus handout problems	9/28
6	292-293 330	10,11,12,13,15,22 8,9,10,11	10/10
7	393-394	1,2,19,20	10/19
8		factorial ANOVA class handout only	11/2
9	200	2,3, plus handout problems	11/16
10	231	1,2 plus handout problems	11/30

EXAMS AND QUIZZES

This course will include three exams (two midterm exams and a final exam) and three quizzes. No notes or books are allowed during the exams. The exams will include issues covered in lecture and readings. None of the exams are cumulative. If we are moving unusually slow or fast, the quiz and exam dates may change. You'll be notified of any change at least a week before the quiz/exam.

On the meeting before each exam, I'll distribute a list of three potential essay questions for the exam. Two of the three essays will be included on the exam. You do not bring completed essays to the exam. The purpose of distributing the essays in advance is to focus your study efforts on the big issues. While studying the course material, the lecture/book overlap and lecture-unique material are the most important materials to review. Lecture/book overlap is material we discuss that is also discussed in your assigned readings. Lecture-unique material is material discussed in lecture that is not covered in the text and book-unique material is information I've asked you to read that we do not discuss in lecture. Book-unique material will never represent more than 10% of an exam. Make-up exams are not allowed in this class and will only be considered with evidence of a real medical emergency. I realize that each of you have other academic, work, family, and personal responsibilities. Conflicts of work, family, transportation, etc. are a part of each of our lives and, as a result, they are not legitimate reasons to request a make-up exam. Please feel free to ask questions or seek clarification on this policy.

Unlike the exams, the three quizzes are open-note and open-book. They will be similar in format to your homework problems. The quizzes will contain a variety of fill-in, multiple-choice, and short-answer items. Quizzes will be completed during the final 30 minutes of class. There are no opportunities to make up a quiz. You are either in class and get credit or you are absent and do not get credit. Quizzes should be low-stress measures of your progress and serve to emphasize important material for study, help prepare you for an exam, and encourage you not to fall behind in your study.

ATTENDANCE/MOTIVATION/PARTICIPATION

Attendance/motivation/participation is 10% of your grade. Only those who attend regularly and show sincere effort will receive the benefit of the doubt if they are on the cusp of two grades. Attendance will be taken periodically throughout the semester.

ACADEMIC HONESTY

All work must be your own and only your own. Plagiarism is the representation of others' work as your own. This includes lifting material from other students' homework or from other researchers' publications. Cheating will result in a zero for the assignment. If chronic, academic dishonesty will result in an "F" in the course, regardless of what you scored on other assignments. Please consult the WNCC catalogue for more detailed guidelines of academic honesty.

GRADES

Course grades will be distributed according to the point scale below. With perfect or near perfect attendance and honest effort, a "C" can be earned which might otherwise be considered a "D". In short, the "C" range can be more generous than implied below in an effort to prevent you from being discouraged if you start slowly. Perfect or near perfect attendance and honest effort will also help if you are on the cusp of any other two grades as well.

Assignment/Points                            Total Points Possible

Attendance/participation/motivation                      30
10 homework assignments at 20 points each    200
3 open-note quizzes at 20 points each           60
2 midterm exams at 70 points each                   140
1 final exam at 70 points                                   70
                                                                   500

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                         58-67
    F                         <58

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. Aside from the typical committee work, 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.

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, Cal State San Bernardino, 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.