Disussion

Although you have now completed the course, one additional action is a good practice at the conclusion of every online course. Take the time to consider what you accomplished or struggled to accomplish.

Reflect on the major concepts you studied in this course:

• Frequencies, percentages, and normal curves.
• Descriptive statistics (mean, median, mode, graphical displays, et cetera).
• Inferential statistics (t tests, ANOVA, correlation, chi-square test, et cetera).
• Hypothesis construction.
• SPSS use.
• Application of statistics to real-world information

AND

Assignment

u10a1 – Correlation

Complete the following problems within the Word document (do not submit other files). Show your work for problem sets that require calculations. Ensure that your answer to each problem is clearly visible.

Submit the document to your instructor by Friday, 11:59 p.m. central time.

Problem Set 10.1: Correlational Studies

• Criterion: Determine if a correlation is the appropriate analysis for a study.
• Instruction: Answer this: Which of the following scenarios might be analyzed using a correlation?

a.The effectiveness of training A versus training B in raising skill level.

b.Minutes spent exercising per week and physical fitness score.

c.Income level and the number of visits to a financial planner.

d.Beer brand preference among college students.

Problem Set 10.2: Correlation: Relationship Direction

• Criterion: Differentiate between positive, negative, and neutral relationships among variables.
• Instruction: For each of the following, answer this: Do you expect the relationships between the variables to be negative (-), positive (+), or zero (0):

a.Size of yard and size of landscaping bill.

b.Years of education and income level.

c.Hours of TV watched per week and physical fitness level.

d.Number of siblings and number of pets.

e.Hours spent studying and exam scores.

(Assignment continues on next page.)

Problem Set 10.3: Scatterplot in SPSS

• Criterion: Create a scatterplot using SPSS.
• Data: Dr T wanted to see if mindfulness training is related to stress levels. He recruited 10 participants to undergo mindfulness training and examined their reported stress levels on the DRT Stress Inventory. The results were as follows:

Minutes of Mindfulness Training	DRT Stress Inventory Score
61	8
122	6
201	3
33	9
55	7
329	1
10	9
1	10
93	7
144	5

• Instruction: Complete the following steps:

• Open the SPSS and open a New DataSet.
• Click on the Variable View tab and type Mindfulness in row one. Enter Stress in row two.
• Click on the Data View tab and enter the data.
• In the Toolbar, click Graphs, select Legacy Dialogs, and then select Scatter or Dot.
• Click Simple Scatter and select Define.
• Click Mindfulness (X) and then click Arrow to send it over to the X-Axis box.
• Click Stress (Y) and then click Aarrow to send it over to the Y-Axis box.
• Click OK and copy and paste the scatterplot output below.
• Answer this: Based on the scatterplot, what is the expected strength and direction of the correlation?

(Assignment continues on next page.)

Problem Set 10.4:Pearson r in SPSS (1)

• Criterion: Calculate a Pearson r using SPSS.
• Data: Use the same dataset from Problem Set 10.3 in SPSS.
• Instruction: Complete the following steps:

• In the Toolbar, click Analyze, then select Correlation, and then Bivariate.
• Click Mindfulness and then click Arrow to send it over to the Variables box.
• Click Stress and then click Arrow to send it over to the Variables box.
• Click OK and copy and paste the correlation output into the Word document below.

Problem Set 10.5:Pearson r in SPSS (2)

• Criterion: Complete hypothesis testing and interpret correlational data.
• Data: Use the same dataset from Problem Set 10.3.
• Instruction: Complete the following:

a.Identify the null hypothesis.

b.Answer this: Based on the correlation output (two-tailed test), can the null hypothesis be rejected? If the null hypothesis can be rejected, how confident can you be that the results are not due to chance?

c.Report the results as you might see them in a journal (i.e., in APA style).

Problem Set 10.6

•Criterion: Apply results of a Pearson r to a real-world scenario.

•Data: Consider the results of Dr T’s mindfulness study from Problem Set 10.3 and Problem Set 10.5.

•Instruction: Answer the following:

oIf you worked in a stress reduction clinic, what conclusions might you share with your clients about the effects of mindfulness training on stress levels?

oWhat conclusions might you share with other clinicians and researchers at the clinic?