Introductory Statistics Options, Spring 2008

1. Introductory Statistics Options, Spring 2008 • Stat 100: MWF, 11:00 Science Center C. • General intro to statistical methods in social and political science, public health and economics. • Text: Introduction to the Practice of Statistics • Stat 101: MWF, 3:00 Science Center A • Similar to 100, but emphasis on applications and statistical reasoning in psychology and related disciplines. • Text: Statistics for Psychology • Stat 104: MWF, 11:00 Science Center D • Similar to Stat 100, but with emphasis on applications to economics. Slightly faster pace than 100 and 104 • Same text as 100

2. Distinguishing Features of 101 • We will use SPSS • We will discuss psychological instrument construction and characteristics as well as elementary statistics topics • There will be an on going data collection project that will be the basis of all lab assignments • There will be three tests – they are non-cumulative, of equal value and account for 60% of your grade • Homework will not be collected –BUT plan for a frequent 1-2 item quiz – taken directly from your homework– 15% of grade • You will be required to keep a lab notebook documenting completion of laboratory tasks 25% of grade –submitted ½ way and at end of semester for evaluation – dated output • You will be required to log into survey monkey every so often, as we complete the development of survey instruments

3. Ongoing Class Project • Entitled “Measurement and Correlates of Success” • Will require seeking out different “communities” at Harvard for source information • Will require coordinated, small group work within lab periods • We will • Develop domains of content for questions related to “Success” • Develop items/questions to represent these domains • Conduct cognitive and psychometric item testing • Will develop scales that are an aggregate of items/questions • Examine these items and scales and learn how to use graphical, descriptive and hypothesis testing tools to better understand the data we have collected • GOAL: Use statistics to glean a bit of wisdom about the concept of success

4. Class Values • Effective group work while gaining personal mastery of topics • Regular progress on doing problems so that it does not pile up and create anxiety prior to tests – hence homework quizzes • Good communication – If you don’t understand something, ask. If you can help someone else understand, offer. Prof-TFs, TFs-students, Prof-students, student-student. • Clear expectations- what is expected of you to succeed- what you can expect from Prof, TFs. • The journey has as much value (maybe more) as the final grade –a good grade would tend to be the fruit of being productively engaged in the journey.

5. Syllabus

8. Laboratory Notebooks • Loose leaf binder with pocket • Three hole punch • Systematically collect output • Annotate output –explain what everything on a page generated means. You only have to do it the first time for each new procedure. Don’t need EVERYTHING you ever ran. Highlights. Final analyses. • Marble notebook to be kept in pocket – diary style – Notes on how you do things in SPSS. Documentation of what you looked at and why, what you found, interesting or not. Questions for TF. Dated entries. Index with pages of output in binder.

9. Questions about Requirements?

10. Measures and Correlates of Success Might different people define and measure success differently? Builder of empires Service to fellow man Aesthetic criteria Philosopher Farmer in 3rd world nation Journey vs destination Opportunity to talk to people across the campus to distill ideas about how to measure and what correlates with success. Small groups based on Lab sections – 2-4 brief, open-ended interviews requesting interview subjects to answer the question, “How do you measure success? What do you think is most related to success?” YES – it is an intentionally vague question. LETS OPEN UP DISUSSION – how might you make sure that you got all the information that that person offered to you in response to the question?

11. Measures and Correlates of Success • Next step – distill information into brief, clear statements • Create scales for each statement > Five point scale STRONG AGREE to STRONG DISAGREE >Two point scale YES / NO >Thermometer-type scale - value 0-100 where 0 is most different from your perspective and 100 is identical to your perspective. >Maybe forced choice between different statements –select one you feel best matches your perspective

12. Item and Scale Development – looking at existing instruments • Psychological instruments and scales are all around us – CES-D, MMPI, Optimism, Locus of Control, Raven’s Progressive Matrices, Intelligence, Executive Brain Function……. • Let’s take a look at well documented scales - Assignment 1 – find an article about the development and validation of any psychological scale and READ it. • Get on line and take one of the many psychological tests available – if they do not directly explain what they are measuring, look at the items and try to guess how the items might be classified.

13. SPSS • Harvard University has a site license for SPSS • You may load it from the key server – it costs nothing • You can only use it within range of campus • Can buy a student copy from SPSS website if you need to do work while traveling • Very nice introductory tutorials • GUI interface – means it is menu driven • Time for a peek?

14. Today’s Summary • Who should be taking this class? • Class Requirements • Class Values • On-going Group Project “Measures and Correlates of Success” • First steps in Group project • Assignment: Look at established items and scales • SPSS software