PSYC-FPX4700 Stat for Behavioral Sciences

INSTRUCTIONS

Throughout the course, you have been exploring various concepts and building your skills in statistical analysis. This week, you will complete a data analysis report to analyze the correlation between assigned variables.

Exploring the associations between some variables in the courseroom using correlations might provide some important information about learner success. You’ll need to pay attention to both magnitude, which is the strength of the association, and directionality, which is the direction (positive or negative) of the association. During this assignment, you’ll start learning about how to best approach correlational analyses like these and start getting some answers. You’ll explore the relationships that may or may not exist in your courseroom data.

In this assignment, you’ll get a chance to run and interpret an inferential statistics analysis: correlations.

You will complete this assessment using the Data Analysis and Application Template [DOC] (also known as the DAA Template).

The grades.jasp file is a sample data set. The data represent a teacher’s recording of student demographics and performance on quizzes and a final exam across three sections of the course. Each section consists of 35 students (N = 105). There are 21 variables in grades.jasp. This assignment is on correlations.

You will analyze the following variables in the grades.jasp data set:

Variable	Definition
Quiz 1	Quiz 1: Number of correct answers
GPA	Previous grade point average
Total	Total number of points earned in class
Final	Final exam: Number of correct answers

Variables and Definitions

The Data Analysis and Application Template has five sections:

The Data Analysis Plan.

Testing Assumptions.

Results and Interpretation.

Statistical Conclusions.

Application.

Step 1: The Data Analysis Plan

In Step 1:

Name the four variables used in this analysis and whether they are categorical or continuous.

State a research question, null hypothesis, and alternate hypothesis for one X-Y pair. For example, you could articulate a research question, null hypothesis, and alternate hypothesis for quiz1 (X) and final (Y).

Step 2: Testing Assumptions

Test for one of the assumptions of correlation—normality.

Create a descriptive statistics table to assess normality. This table should include the four variables named above.

Paste the table in the DAA Template.

Interpret the skewness and kurtosis values and how you determined whether the assumption of normality was met or violated.

Step 3: Results and Interpretation

In Step 3:

Paste the output of the intercorrelation matrix for all specified variables:

First, report the lowest magnitude correlation in the intercorrelation matrix, including degrees of freedom, correlation coefficient, p-value, and effect size. Interpret the effect size. Specify whether or not to reject the null hypothesis for this correlation.

Second, report the highest magnitude correlation in the intercorrelation matrix, including degrees of freedom, correlation coefficient, p-value, and effect size. Interpret the effect size. Specify whether or not to reject the null hypothesis for this correlation.

Third, report the correlation between GPA and final, including degrees of freedom, correlation coefficient, p-value, and effect size. Interpret the effect size. Analyze the correlation in terms of the null hypothesis.

Interpret statistical results against the null hypothesis, and state whether it is accepted or rejected.

Step 4: Statistical Conclusions

In Step 4:

Provide a brief summary of your analysis and the conclusions drawn.

Analyze the limitations of the statistical test.

Provide any possible alternate explanations for the findings and potential areas for future exploration.

Step 5: Application

In Step 5:

Analyze how you might use correlations in your field of study.

Name an independent variable and dependent variable that would work for such an analysis and why studying it may be important to the field or practice.

Submit your completed Data Analysis and Application Template as an attached Word document in the assessment area.