Assignment 1: Learning and Applying Tests of Significance
Throughout this assignment you will review six mock studies. Follow the step-by-step instructions: a. Mock Studies 1 – 3 require you to enter data from scratch. You need to create a data set for each of the three mock studies by yourself. (Refresh the data entry skill acquired in Week 1.) b. Mock Studies 4 – 6 require you to use the GSS dataset specified in the course. The variables are given in each Mock Study.
c. Go through the five steps of hypothesis testing (below) for EVERY mock study. d. All calculations should be coming from your SPSS. You will need to submit the SPSS output file (.spv) to get credit for this assignment. The five steps of hypothesis testing when using SPSS are as follows:
- State your research hypothesis (H1) and null hypothesis (H0).
- Identify your significance level (alpha) at .05 or .01, based on the mock study. You only need to use ONE level of significance (either .05 or .01) as specified in the instructions. 3. Conduct your analysis using SPSS.
- Look for the valid score for comparison. This score is usually under ‘Sig 2-tail’ or ‘Sig. 2’ or ‘Asymptotic Sig.’ We will call this “p.”
- Compare the two and apply the following rule:
a. If “p” is < or = alpha, then you reject the null. b. Please explain what this decision means in regards to this mock study. (Ex: Will you recommend counseling services?) Please make sure your answers are clearly distinguishable. Perhaps you could bold your font or use a different color.