CPSY 501 Fall 2010 HW Assignment #1:
Statistics Review / SPSS Intro

Total: 20 marks. Due: Fri 24Sep 09:00am, uploaded to myCourses

Dataset

Please download from the course website (under "assignments") and use the HW1-ADD.sav dataset for this assignment. This dataset is from 9th grade students who show behavioural tendencies that can be described more-or-less like Attention Deficit Disorder symptoms.

  1. Variable Labels and Levels (5 marks)

    The dataset has been sloppily formed and doesn't even have proper labels or levels of measurement for each of the variables. Modify the SPSS file to show proper labels for each variable as given below, and also set the proper level of measurement: Scale (interval or ratio), ordinal, or nominal. For the nominal variables, set the "Value" labels as indicated below.
    Col#VariableValues
    2ADDSC scorehigher = more "problems"
    3Gender1 = Male, 2 = Female
    4Repeat a grade0 = No, 1 = Yes
    5IQ: "Intelligence" scorehigher = more ability
    6English course level in 9th grade 1 = College/Univ prep, 2 = General, 3 = Remedial
    7English course grade4 = A, 3 = B, etc.
    8Grade point average in 9th grade
    9Social problems at home0 = No, 1 = Yes
    10Dropout0 = No, 1 = Yes

  2. IQ and English Grade (5 marks)

    One question this research addresses is whether intelligence scores are strongly associated with "English course grade" for the population of 9th grade students from which this sample was drawn. What kind of correlation coefficient provides the correct strategy for answering that question? Calculate the proper result using SPSS and indicate whether the result can be accurately described as "large" using the convention described in the textbook. How would your analysis strategy have changed if you were correlating "English course level in 9th grade" with IQ?

  3. Social Problems and Dropping Out (5 marks)

    If we want explore whether social problems at home are associated with the likelihood of dropping out of school, how do we approach that question? What do the results from this sample suggest?

  4. Gender and ADD (5 marks)

    Does the data in this sample support the stereotype that boys with ADD symptoms tend to be "worse" (showing more problems) than girls showing the same kinds of tendencies? Since we have a friend who believes that stereotype, we need to be convincing and careful. So, in addition to checking the stereotype statistically, print out the boxplots for girls and for boys to help show what is going on. (Hint: we need the boxplots to be presented side-by-side to be more convincing!

Formatting

Format your answers to questions #2-4 in a single document (Word .doc or similar), clearly formatted and written in complete sentences. For this first assignment, strict APA style is not necessary (but it will be for subsequent assignments, so you should get some practise!). Include any relevant plots as figures within your document (again, APA style not necessary for this assignment). Also create a clean SPSS output file (.spv) showing the relevant analyses and plots. Make sure your SPSS output file doesn't have any output from any other "trial runs" you did! It is possible to edit an output file to delete extraneous output.

Turn-in

You should upload to myCourses the following: