Week 1 Assignment: Introduction to Statistics in Psychology

PART 1: Introduction to Research Methods

In this part of the assignment, we will examine data collected from the General Social Survey (GSS), which was administered to a large, representative sample of American adults.

 

The GSS includes many different questions, but we will focus on two variables: Race and Mntlhth.

·        The Race variable classifies respondents into three categories: “Black,” “White,” and “Other.”

·        The Mntlhth variable measures the number of days an individual experienced poor mental health in the past 30 days.

 

A researcher wants to use this dataset to determine if there are differences in the average number of days with poor mental health among people of different races.

 

Directions: Use the scenario above to answer the questions below.

If a researcher using the GSS data finds that people of different races have different average numbers of days with poor mental health, to which population can they generalize that finding?

If the researcher finds that people of different races have different average numbers of days with poor mental health, can they conclude that race caused these differences? Why or why not?

The GSS’s Race variable has three categories: “Black,” “White,” and “Other.” How might these limited options impact the study’s validity? (Most students will need 60-80 words to completely address this question.)

PART 2: Exploring Post-Graduation Opportunities

In this section, you will explore either a graduate program or a job posting related to psychology that utilizes statistics.

 

Directions: Identify a graduate program (i.e., a master’s or doctoral program) or a job posting related to psychology that involves statistics. If you select a graduate program, complete Option A only. If you select a job posting, complete Option B only.

Option A: Complete this section if you selected a graduate program.
What is the name of the program you selected?
Provide a link to your selected program.
Are there any statistics-related entrance requirements? If so, describe them.
What statistics courses are students in this program required to take?
Option B: Complete this section if you selected a job posting.
What is the job title?
Provide a link to your selected job posting.
What are the statistics-related job requirements? (i.e., skills applicants must have)
What are the statistics-related job responsibilities? (i.e., tasks the person in the role will perform)