Instructor |
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Description | An examination of common parametric and non-parametric statistical techniques used in psychological research, and of principles of accurate application and interpretation of those techniques (e.g., effect size; power; sample size; implications of violations of test assumptions). Topics focus on multiple regression, different models of analysis of variance and covariance, and also include categorical data analysis, meta-analysis, and an introduction to interpretation of multivariate statistics. | ||||||||||||||||
Objective |
An emphasis is placed on applied data analysis and accurate conceptualization,
rather than statistical theory. Students in this course will:
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Software |
The group project and most of the assignments will require analysis of data,
using SPSS (PASW) 17.
This is available on the computers in the Wong Research Centre,
in the CanIL computer lab classroom, and in other labs on campus.
If you wish to purchase a licence for SPSS on your own computer, see
cpsy501.seanho.com/buying-spss.html for more info.
If you own a different version of SPSS, note that the output files may not be
readable by other versions; you may need to export to PDF or HTML format.
We will also be using the GPower3 software for power analysis. This is also installed on campus computers, and also freely downloadable for installation on your own computers. If you are familiar with other power analysis software, you may also use that. | ||||||||||||||||
Policies |
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Data Analysis Project | As a research preparation course, this course is constituted in large part by a semester-long data analysis project, culminating in a sizeable research paper with detailed statistical analysis, presented in proper APA style. The project will involve working together in groups of 2 to 3 people (students who wish to work solo should check with the instructor) to conduct and write up a new analysis of a pre-existing data set. Students are encouraged to form groups and obtain data usable data sets as soon as possible. Groups must have their plans for their project approved by the instructor before proceeding. See separate hand-out for additional information on the requirements and different steps for the project. Together, the various parts of the group project are worth 45% of the course grade. | ||||||||||||||||
Textbook |
Field, A. (2009). Discovering statistics using SPSS for Windows
(3nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. ISBN 1847879071.
This is a new edition, updated for SPSS 17. | ||||||||||||||||
Marking |
Letter grade assignment follows the TWU percentage to grade equivalents
except that >=85% and <95% is an A; 95% and above is an A+.
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Math Advice |
Many undergraduate students have had negative educational experiences with math
or stats, and some people feel frustrated or anxious with the prospect of
working with numbers. It helps some people to think of statistical procedures
as decision-making tools, rather than as math problems. Understanding how the
different procedures are designed help to answer specific research questions is
the central step in learning how to use statistics.
We suggest that you study together and use each other as resources to help each other understand the concepts that are taught, and how to use SPSS: in the real world, you will probably have colleagues with whom you can consult when you are confronted with difficult clinical cases in your counselling practice. Treat your statistics learning in the same way. And in the same way that you cannot have a colleague do your counselling sessions for you, we expect everyone to write up their assignments individually. It may help to keep you motivated if you remember that part of being a good counsellor means staying up to date with the latest developments in your area of practice. To be able to evaluate this literature effectively, you need to know how the authors came up with their conclusions. For a majority of published studies in counselling psychology and related fields, this requires an understanding of statistics and data analysis. | ||||||||||||||||
Disabilities | While every effort is made to accommodate special needs, unless students who have disabilities register with the Equity of Access Office at the beginning of each semester and identify themselves to the professor of the course within the first two weeks of the semester, the professor is not obliged to make concessions on either the nature of required assignments or the due dates thereof. | ||||||||||||||||
Weather | In case of inclement weather, the TWU campus conditions will be announced on local radio stations and posted on the TWU website at www.twu.ca/conditions. | ||||||||||||||||
Academic Integrity | Academic integrity is a core value of the entire TWU community. This includes, but is not limited to, avoiding all forms of plagiarism and cheating. TWU has a strict policy concerning plagiarism, and all offenses are recorded in University files. A tutorial describing plagiarism and how to avoid it has been prepared by TWU Librarian William Badke: (PPT file), (14 min flash), (8 min flash) | ||||||||||||||||
Additional Resources |
There are numerous additional resources that can be used to supplement the
material in the required text. Some of these resources are optional, and each
is intended for students in different specific situations.
If you are not already familiar with how to write and present information in psychology documents, seriously consider purchasing the APA publication manual now. Marks will be deducted for failure to use APA format in assignments and the final project. Pay particular attention to (a) the format of tables (pp. 147-176), (b) statistical notation and formatting (pp. 136-146); and (c) citation/referencing details (pp. 215-281).
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