University of Oregon, Winter 2003
Psychology 302: STATISTICS
Professor: Gerard Saucier, Ph.D.
Office: 312 Straub
E-mail: gsaucier@oregon.uoregon.edu Phone: 346-4927 with voice mail
Office Hours: Mondays 1:30 - 2 pm, and Wednesdays 2 pm to 3:30 pm, or by appointment
Teaching Assistants: Jonathan Cook, 329 Straub, 346-4963, jcook4@darkwing.uoregon.edu;
Stephan Dickert, 309 Straub, 346-4937, sdickert@darkwing.uoregon.edu
Office Hours: Jonathan 12-2 Thurs., Stephan 2-4 Weds., or by appointment
Text: Aron, A., & Aron, E. N. (1997). Statistics for the behavioral and social sciences. Upper
Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Study Guide and Computer Workbook (required): Renner, C. (2002). Study guide and
computer workbook: Statistics for the behavioral and social sciences. Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Course web page: http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~gsaucier/Psych_302_2003.htm
Course Objectives (or, what's the purpose of this course?)
Welcome to Psychology 302. Statistical analyses are a crucial part of research in many
sciences, including psychology. Statistical analyses help scientists discern patterns in phenomena,
and determine the relative generalizability of these patterns. Everyday people increasingly use
statistics for the same ends. In other words, statistics does much to help people make sense of the
world. Being able to understand and use statistics is, then, an important skill. This course is
designed to help you gain the following:
1. The ability to understand and explain to others the statistical analyses in reports of social and
behavioral science research.
2. Preparation for learning about research methods, and about more advanced statistical methods.
3. The ability to identify the appropriate statistical procedure for many basic research situations
and to carry out the necessary computations, by hand (for simple computations) or by
computer (for more complex ones).
4. Further development of your quantitative and analytic thinking skills.
What Methods Are Used for Learning?
1. Reading the assigned material. That includes following the numeric examples closely and
writing down questions about anything not entirely clear. You are expected to read the
text, in full.
2. Completing the assigned homework practice problems (and turning them in on time). Statistics
is a SKILL, so it necessary to do statistics, not just read and understand.
3. Attending the class sessions, listening closely, asking questions -- be sure to have done the
reading first. Do not fall behind!
4. Studying for, taking, and reviewing answers for quizzes, exam, and practice tests.
5. Attending your lab section. Be sure to bring questions from the reading with you. This is a
great 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!). Lab sections will
also be the place to develop some computer data-analysis experience.
6. Testing your knowledge and reviewing each lecture using your Study Guide.
The class format is primarily prepared presentations (i.e., lecture) with response to questions,
but there will be some in-class exercises and student participation in work teams. Class activities
will primarily focus on how the concepts can be applied.
Summary of Basis for Evaluation
Your final course grade is based on the following components:
30% Score on the homework assignments
Note: as a prerequisite to pass the course, it is necessary to complete and turn in all
homework assignments by the time of the final exam
6% Final paper/project (demonstrating your skills on a unique set of data)
40% Average score for the four quizzes
20% Score on the cumulative final examination
4% Sufficient group participation (groups that convene during class sessions)
Since all scores in this course are given in percentages (0 to 100), the final course grade can be
calculated using a predictive multiple regression equation (see text pages 58-63) as follows:
Final Percentage = .30 (Scores on homework) + .06 (Final paper/project) + .40 (Average quiz
score) + .20 (Score on cumulative final) + .04 (Sufficient group participation)
This final percentage is then converted into a grade. A range is 90% to 100%, B range is
78% to 90% better, C range 65% to 78%, D range 50% to 65%, with '+' and '-' being assigned
if the percentage is within the top or bottom 1/3, respectively, of each of these ranges. F is 50%
or lower (no F+ or F-).
Components of Your Performance in Psychology 302
In order to give maximum ongoing performance feedback, and help students keep focus on the
important subject matter of this course (a prerequisite to upper division courses in psychology),
the course is designed with biweekly quizzes.
There will be four quizzes. Quizzes consist of of combination of "problem" items, multiple-
choice, fill-in-the-blank, and mini-essay items. Quizzes will begin approximately 20 minutes into
the class session (i.e., at 12:20 pm) on the day scheduled for each quiz; the first 20 minutes of
these quiz class-sessions will be devoted to presentation or review of material that will make up
part of the quiz, so it makes sense to come to class on time that day (like every day). If you have
to miss a quiz, talk to the instructor, as it may be possible to arrange a make-up quiz (different
version than the one given earlier in class) on the first day of the final exam period; there will not
be any make-up quizzes prior to the final-exam period. Alternative arrangements may be possible
with a signed medical excuse.
Each quiz and practice test covers only the material since the last quiz (except to the extent
that previous material is necessary to understanding new material). The cumulative final
examination will be designed like a quiz, generally, but be twice as long. Because chapter 11
from our text is not covered on the four quizzes, an extra helping of chapter 11 will be covered on
the final. A study guide for the final will be provided during the last week of class (8-10 days
before the final). This exam is cumulative so as to encourage you to review key points from the
course and thus enhance what you take away from the course. Individual quizzes and the final
exam are closed-book, no notes to be used.
Individuals may submit written challenges to their quiz grade immediately after quizzes are
administered. Grades will be adjusted only if the challenge is successful and ONLY for the
individual that submitted the challenge. You may and should use your books for the challenges so
it helps to bring your books with you even on quiz days.
You will be assigned to one or more in-class discussion groups. These groups will carry out
learning-focused exercises during class sessions, sometimes near the midpoint of the class session,
sometimes near the end of the class session. These groups will usually be responsible for
producing a written product/report each team they meet, and your grade for "sufficient
participation" will be based on how often you are around to sign these products/reports, and on
your being reasonably cooperative with other group members.
Lab sessions will consist of a combination of (a) review of material relevant to either the next
homework assignment or the next quiz, (b) an extra chance to have your questions answered, and
(c) training on use of computers and statistical software, which will be incorporated in some of
the homework assignments. The follow-up course to 302 is 303 (Research Methods in
Psychology), and computer work is usually a major part of 303. It is also, of course, very useful
in the world of work beyond the University.
Five times during the term (every other week) you are to turn in a homework assignment.
Unless announced otherwise, these are due at the beginning of the Wednesday class session, i.e.,
at high noon. If you turn in your homework late, points will taken off proportional to how many
days late it is (see lab instructor for the policy with respect to how many points for each day of
lateness). You are required to turn in all homework assignments in order to pass the course.
Putting high-quality effort into each homework assignment is useful to you for several reasons:
(1) you will usually be rewarded with a higher grade, (2) it helps you prepare for the quizzes and
final, and (3) statistics is a skill and not a spectator sport -- you must do it to learn it.
A majority of the assigned homework consists of selected "practice problems" from the end of
the chapters in the main text. Sometimes these practice problems involve material on the reading
for the day the homework is due, so require you to have this reading done a day or two early.
The other part of the assigned homework will involve work on computer using SPSS, and the
teaching assistants will be making this "SPSS" section of the homework available to you at least
one week prior to the homework due date. The first homework (that due on Jan. 15) will consist
entirely of practice problems from the main text. The second through fifth homeworks will all
involve an additional SPSS section.
You are encouraged to discuss homework with other students and with the teaching assistant,
and to compare your work with others before turning it in. Homework helps you learn skills by
practicing. Talking over the problems and reworking them when you discover that others got
different answers promotes deeper understanding of concepts and gives you more practice in
applying skills. However, each student must submit separate homework, and you must show
your work (no photocopies or word-for-word copying). And again, all homework assignments
must be turned in by the start of the final exam to pass the course.
The final paper/project is a demonstration that you know how to use SPSS on a unique set
of data, and that you are able to interpret results appropriately. Instructions for gathering and
analyzing the unique-to-you set of data will be discussed in class and announced on-line by
January 29. It is due by Friday, March 14 at 4 pm to Psychology Office, 131 Straub (it can be
turned in earlier in the week in class, or by attachment to an e-mail to professor). The skills
needed for the paper/project are developed in lab.
How much knowledge of mathematics is required in this course? There will be many
calculations, but most of these require nothing more than basic algebra. Having had Math 111
(college algebra), with its emphasis on functions and graphing, helps very much in grasping what
is going on in the course, thus it is a prerequisite; many of the more advanced statistical methods,
including regression and factor analysis, lean heavily on advanced algebra and other mathematical
techniques. In Psychology 302, unlike most math classes, we for the most part emphasize
understanding the logic of the statistical method.
You are strongly encouraged to use a hand calculator for doing your assignments, and you
are permitted to use a calculator during tests, though one is not required. A simple calculator
that adds, subtracts, divides, multiplies, and takes square roots should be of great help. Since
you must show your work on all assignments and exams (and too fancy a calculator might get in
the way of your doing this), calculators that also do statistical calculations will not be of real help.
So don't feel any pressure to spend a lot of money: $10 or less should do.
Academic Integrity
This instructor takes academic integrity seriously. Insuring the "validity" of grades requires
seeing that they reflect honest work and learning rather than cheating. Cheating is defined as
providing or accepting information on an exam, plagiarism or copying anyone's written work.
Students caught cheating will be given an "F" for the course, and UO's student conduct
coordinator will be informed. This instructor does have a record of failing students for cheating.
The instructor retains the right to assign seats for tests, to change individual's seating for test
security purposes, to require and check ID for admission to tests.
See next page for class schedule, and page after that for part of the homework assignments.
PSYCHOLOGY 302 SCHEDULE: What's Happening When
(Note: the dates on this course outline are subject to change)
January 6 Syllabus; overview of the course; preparatory activities
Assignment: text chapters 1 and 2
January 8 Displaying order in groups of numbers; mean, variance, standard deviation, Z-
January 13 scores; computing a correlation as a descriptive statistic
Assignment: text chapter 3 (pp. 42-61 only)
January 15 Correlation (and prediction)
January 22 QUIZ 1
Assignment: text chapter 4
January 27 Normal curve, probability, the population versus the sample
Assignment: text chapter 5
January 29 Introduction to hypothesis testing
Assignment: text chapter 6
February 3 Hypothesis tests with means of samples
February 5 QUIZ 2
Assignment: text chapter 7 plus pages 62-71 from text chapter 3
February 10 Error, power, and
February 12 effect size (including correlation as effect size)
Assignment: text chapter 8
February 17 t test for dependent means (paired samples)
February 19 QUIZ 3
Assignment: text chapter 9
February 24 t test for independent means (independent samples)
Assignment: text chapter 10
February 26 t test for independent means compared with one-way analysis of variance
March 3 Analysis of variance: one-way and factorial
March 5 QUIZ 4
Assignment: text chapter 11
March 10 Chi-square and what to do when population distributions are not normal
March 12 More on chi-square; how to decide which analysis is appropriate
Final exam: 10:15 am, Thursday, March 20
HOMEWORK PROBLEMS found in Aron and Aron text
(Note: as noted below, for homeworks 2 through 5 there are additional SPSS problems that you
will get from your teaching assistant / lab instructor).
Homework 1 (due at noon on Jan. 15)
problem 2a from chapter 1 (see page 20)
problem 1 (set B) and 6 from chapter 2 (see page 41)
problem 2 (parts a through g) from chapter 3 (see page 68)
problem 5 from chapter 3 (see page 69)
Homework 2 (due at noon on Jan. 29)
problems 1 and 2 and 5 from chapter 4 (see pages 89-90)
problems 3 and 5 from chapter 5 (see pages 106-107)
also added SPSS problems
Homework 3 (due at noon on Feb. 12)
problems 2 and 3 and 7 from chapter 6 (see pages 124-125)
problems 2 and 3 and 5 from chapter 7 (see page 151)
also added SPSS problems
Homework 4 (due at noon on Feb. 26)
problems 2 and 7 from chapter 8 (see pages 176-177)
problems 2 (parts b and c only) and 4 and 5 (parts b and c only) from chapter 9 (see pages
197-198)
also added SPSS problems
Homework 5 (due at noon on March 12)
problems 1 (parts b and c only) and 3 from chapter 10 (pages 228-229)
problems 1 (parts b and c only) and 2 and 6 from chapter 11 (page 263)
also added SPSS problems