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BHS 204-01 Methods in Behavioral Sciences I. April 21, 2003 Chapter 4 & 5 (Stanovich) Demonstrating Causation. Figure 4.5. (p. 93) Two different distributions with the same range and mean but different dispersions of scores. Standard Deviation. Average distance of scores from the mean.
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BHS 204-01Methods in Behavioral Sciences I April 21, 2003 Chapter 4 & 5 (Stanovich) Demonstrating Causation
Figure 4.5. (p. 93)Two different distributions with the same range and mean but different dispersions of scores.
Standard Deviation • Average distance of scores from the mean. • Calculated by taking the square root of the variance. • The variance scores were squared so that the average of positive and negative distances from the mean could be combined. • Taking the square root reverses this squaring and gives us a number expressed in our original units of measurement (instead of squared units).
Graphing Data • Line graph – used for ordinal, interval, ratio data. • Independent variable on the x-axis • Dependent variable on the y-axis • Bar graph – used for categorical data.
Figure 4.6. (p. 97)Effects of room temperature on response rates in rats.
Transforming Data • Sometimes it is useful to change the form of the data in some way: • Converting F to C temperatures. • Converting inches to centimeters. • Transformation let you compare results across studies. • Transformation must preserve the meaning of the data set and the relationships within it.
Standard Scores • One way to transform data in order to compare two data sets is to express all scores in terms of the distance from the mean. • This is called a z-score. • z = (score – mean) / standard deviation • z-scores can be transformed so that all scores are positive: • This is called a T-score • T = 10 x z + 50
Measures of Association • Scatter plot – used to show how two dependent variables vary in relation to each other. • One variable on x-axis, the other on y-axis. • Correlation – a statistics that describes the relationship between two variables – how they vary together. • Correlations range from -1 to 1.
Figure 4.9. (p. 102)Scatter diagram showing negative relationship between two measures.
Figure 4.10. (p. 103)Scatter diagrams showing various relationships that differ in degree and direction.
The Problem with Testimonials • The Placebo effect • The “vividness” problem. • The P.T. Barnum effect.
Correlation and Causation • The “third variable” problem. • The directionality problem. • Selection bias.