A presentation of statistical concepts of particular relevance to psychologists. Topics include descriptive statistics, hypothesis testing, t-tests, ANOVA, correlation, regression, and chi-square tests. Co-requisite: PSY 3015-01. Prerequisite: a grade of C- or better in PSY 1010 and PSY 2010.

Title: Statistics for Psychology (7th Edition)

Authors: Arthur Aron, Elliot J. Coups, Elaine N. Aron, & Erin Cooley

ISBN 10: 0-13-799449-4

ISBN 13: 9780137994496

You do not need to purchase the MyLab attachment

Web Chapter 1 downloaded from or accessed via the textbook.

Materials

• A calculator that can do square roots and exponents (sometimes, simpler is better)
• Pencil (you will do work by hand, and it is best to do this work with a pencil vs. a pen)
• Scratch paper (for doing work by hand)
• Stapler (for stapling homework assignments)

Course Purpose

In this course, you should gain the following:

• The ability to understand and explain to others the statistical analyses in reports of psychological research.
• A preparation for more advanced courses in statistical methods.
• The ability to identify the appropriate statistical procedure for many basic research situations and to carry out the necessary computations.
• Further development of your quantitative and analytic thinking skills.

Course Learning Outcomes Alignment

Exams

There will be five exams throughout the spring semester and one cumulative final exam. Exams have short-answer essay questions, statistical analyses done by hand, and interpretation of SPSS outputs covered in class. Exams will be time limited and take place in class. To maintain the integrity of exams, you must show up on time, no one may start an exam once someone has left the room, and electronic gadgets are strictly prohibited (except calculators). The clock starts as soon as class starts. Students need to study for each exam. The allotted 50 minutes per exam will not be sufficient time for students to look up the answers as they go. Thus, students will need to be thoroughly prepared and familiar with the relevant course information prior to each exam to do well.

Out of the 5 mid-term exams, I will drop the lowest score. I will not drop the cumulative final exam score.

Correct answers for each exam will be posted to Canvas as soon as everyone finishes with the exam. This is to allow you to review answers. If you disagree with the correct answers, then you must submit to me, in writing, your disagreement and explanation within 2 business days of the exam.

Assignments

There are 26 assignments available for you to complete throughout the spring semester. I will drop the 6 lowest scores and only count the 20 highest scores to your final grade.

• Turn in assignments at the start of class.
• Assignments should be handwritten neatly, with all pages stapled (not paper-clipped) together.
• Show your work when completing a problem involving formulas. At the minimum, you should show each complete formula in its basic form filled in with numbers, at least one intermediate step, and the final answer.
• When writing an essay, you should not use the exact wording in the answers at the back of the text  if you do, you will receive a zero for that problem.

Grading and Final-Grade Calculation

After I calculate your final numerical grade based on the weighting system above, I will convert it to a letter grade based on the chart below:

Instructions

(Due 1/9 @ 2 PM)

On a sheet of paper, put at the top of the page your name, your student ID number, and your email address. Then copy the material in the box below, word for word, in neat handwriting.

All assignments may be completed ahead of schedule but may NOT be completed after the due date. This means that you may complete all coursework as far in advance as you wish, however the deadlines are in place to prevent students from waiting until the last minute to complete work. The deadlines are the LAST DAY you can complete the assignment.

• Late assignments are not accepted  instead, I will drop the 6 lowest scores from your final grades.
• NOTE. We cannot accept extra credit or make any special arrangements regarding grades or adjust grades due to special circumstances of any kind. Please do NOT ask for any adjustments to your grade (other than for errors in grading).

Missing exam policy

If you miss an exam without an excused absence, you will receive a zero. Make-up exams are given only with documentation of extreme circumstances (e.g., severe illness) or for university approved events (e.g., team sports). Dr. Brown decides what alternate exam/assignment will replace the missed exam.

We have classes with content most MWF throughout the spring semester. When you miss class, you miss important information. If you are absent, you are responsible for learning material covered in class.

The course does not emphasize mathematics. There will be many calculations, but these require nothing more than elementary high-school algebra. The emphasis, instead, is on understanding the LOGIC of the statistical methods. The most important part of each exam will be either A) a problem in which you use a statistical procedure to analyze the results of a study and then write an essay explaining what you have done to someone who has no knowledge of statistics or B) a problem in which you are presented with the results of a study and must explain what they mean to a person who has never had a course in statistics.

Many assignments, announcements, and messages for this course will be provided online and therefore reliable computer and Internet access is required. If you have any concerns about the technical requirements of this course, please contact me because I can help discuss ways we can work around technical issues.

• Reading the assigned material, which includes following the numeric examples closely and writing down questions about anything not entirely clear to you. Reading statistics requires close study and re-reading, not just reading through once as you might an ordinary book. You will also find it helpful to complete the How Are You Doing? sections.
• Completing the assigned practice problems (and turning them in on time). Statistics is a skill  it is necessary to DO statistics, not just read and understand.
• Attending lectures, listening closely, asking questions  and being sure to have done the reading first. DONT FALL BEHIND!
• Attending discussion sections led by the teaching assistant  be sure to bring questions from the reading with you. This is your chance to get real help with what is not completely clear and to pursue deeply whatever has excited you. (Yes, there can be exciting things in statistics!)
• Studying for, taking, and reviewing answers for exams.

Generative LLM/AI Statement: I will not penalize you if you choose to utilize a generative large language model (LLM) system (commonly called Generative AI; e.g., ChatGPT) to help you complete your written assignments  though I warn you about the pitfalls and shortcomings associated with utilizing such systems. I will grade your assignments rigorously, and I have noticed that assignments submitted with Generative LLM/AI systems  like ChatGPT  usually perform poorly.

The SUU Psychology Department values our students irrespective of race, age, gender, sexual orientation, culture, religion, nationality, capabilities, or disabilities. Our faculty and staff are committed to the intellectual, physical, and emotional health of all members of the campus community. Should anyone experience problems or issues with depression, anxiety, grief, discrimination, alienation or marginalization, helplessness or hopelessness, or thoughts of suicide, we implore you to seek us out. Our commitment is to listen, and help you find the resources you need.

Our university is a community of faculty, students, and staff that enjoys an expectation of cooperation, professionalism, and civility during the conduct of all forms of university business, including the conduct of studentstudent and studentfaculty interactions in and out of the classroom. Further, the classroom is a setting in which an exchange of ideas and creative thinking should be encouraged and where intellectual growth and development are fostered. Students who disrupt this classroom mission by rude, sarcastic, threatening, abusive or obscene language, and/or behavior will be subject to appropriate sanctions according to university policy. Likewise, faculty members are expected to maintain the highest standards of professionalism in all interactions with all constituents of the university.

The content of this course and syllabus is subject to change at the need and discretion of the instructor. Students will be notified in class and by email of any changes to the syllabus and receive new copies of the revised syllabus.