I. General Information

1. Course Title:
Statistics for Psychology

2. Course Prefix & Number:
PSYC 2427

3. Course Credits and Contact Hours:

Credits: 4

Lecture Hours: 3

Lab Hours: 2

4. Course Description:

An overview of the theories, procedures, and applications of descriptive, correlational, and inferential statistics in the behavioral sciences. Students use basic mathematical and computerized procedures to analyze data in the behavioral sciences. They will use statistical software (SPSS) to conduct descriptive and inferential data analyses. Students choose and apply statistical procedures to help to answer psychological and behavioral scientific research questions. Students read, interpret, and write APA-style results sections for behavioral science research.

5. Placement Tests Required:

6. Prerequisite Courses:

9. Co-requisite Courses:

There are no corequisites for this course.

II. Transfer and Articulation

1. Course Equivalency - similar course from other regional institutions:

Bemidji State University: Psy 3387 Basic Stats for Research

2. Transfer - regional institutions with which this course has a written articulation agreement:

In accordance with the Laws of Minnesota 2015, Chapter 5, Article 3, Section 21 all Minnesota State Colleges and Universities agree to the following principles governing the transfer pathways for baccalaureate degrees.  The transfer pathway specifically ensures that a student who successfully completes an Associates of Arts (AA-P) in Psychology can transfer the full degree into a parallel baccalaureate degree program in Psychology at a Minnesota State university.  The transfer pathway degree program will transfer to the following designated baccalaureate degree majors:

• Bemidji State University: BA Psychology, BS Psychology
• Metropolitan State University: BA Psychology
• Minnesota State University, Mankato: BA Psychology, BS Psychology
• Minnesota State University, Moorhead: BA Psychology
• Southwest Minnesota State University: BA Psychology
• St. Cloud State University:  BA Psychology
• Winona State University:  BA Psychology

III. Course Purpose

1. Program-Applicable Courses – This course is required for the following program(s):

 AA-P (Psychology) pathway degree

 

2. MN Transfer Curriculum (General Education) Courses - This course fulfills the following goal area(s) of the MN Transfer Curriculum:
Goal 5 – History and the Social and Behavioral Sciences

IV. Learning Outcomes

1. College-Wide Outcomes

College-Wide Outcomes/Competencies	Students will be able to:
Demonstrate written communication skills	Complete APA-style papers and/or projects to answer psychological and behavioral research questions.
Demonstrate reading and listening skills	Read and summarize concepts from psychological and behavioral resources.
Utilize appropriate technology	Choose and apply statistical procedures using SPSS to help to answer psychological and behavioral scientific research questions.

2. Course Specific Outcomes - Students will be able to achieve the following measurable goals upon completion of the course:

• Apply statistical procedures appropriate for a given hypothesis, scale of measurement, and experimental design. (MnTC Goal 5)
• Demonstrate and apply the logic behind hypothesis testing and why it is important to the social sciences.(MnTC Goal 5)
• Determine what variables are and how they are measured or manipulated. (MnTC Goal 5)
• Evaluate various sources of information, printed or electronic. (MnTC Goal 5)
• Demonstrate working knowledge of psychology-related databases, such as PsyINFO. (MnTC Goal 5)
• Perform and describe the statistical procedures commonly used by social scientists including their respective advantages and disadvantages. (MnTC Goal 5)
• Perform the following statistical procedures: creating visual display of data, measures of central tendency, variability, and frequency distributions, correlational and regression analyses, inferential statistical procedures (t-tests, ANOVAs, multiple comparison tests, confidence intervals, and effect sizes), nonparametric tests in the social sciences. (MnTC Goal 5)
• Interpret, read, and summarize basic statistical conclusions from psychological and behavioral science sources accurately. (MnTC Goal 5)
• Demonstrate and apply understanding of ethical procedures and guidelines in research. (MnTC Goal 5)
• Critically evaluate the statistical presentations of others in the social sciences. (MnTC Goal 5)
• Interpret statistical findings and graphs in the context of their level of statistical significance, confidence intervals, effect sizes, and underlying assumptions, and explain these finding using common language and conventions of the American Psychological Association. (MnTC Goal 5)
• Use SPSS to build data sets, run univariate analyses, and interpret and display results in the social sciences. (MnTC Goal 5)

V. Topical Outline

Listed below are major areas of content typically covered in this course.

1. Lecture Sessions

1. Unit 1: The Science of Psychology
• Understanding Science
• Scientific Research in Psychology
• Science and Common Sense
• Science and Clinical Practice
2. Unit 2: Getting Started in Research          
• Basic Concepts
• Generating Good Research Questions
• Reviewing the Research Literature
3. Unit 3: Research Ethics      
• Moral Foundations of Ethical Research
• From Moral Principles to Ethics Codes
• Putting Ethics Into Practice
4. Unit 4: Theory in Psychology         
• Phenomena and Theories
• The Variety of Theories in Psychology
• Using Theories in Psychological Research
5. Unit 5: Psychological Measurement          
• Understanding Psychological Measurement
• Reliability and Validity of Measurement
• Practical Strategies for Psychological Measurement
6. Unit 6: Experimental Research      
• Experiment Basics
• Experimental Design
• Conducting Experiments
7. Unit 7: Nonexperimental Research           
• Overview of Nonexperimental Research
• Correlational Research
• Quasi-Experimental Research
• Qualitative Research
8. Unit 8: Complex Research Designs
• Multiple Dependent Variables
• Multiple Independent Variables
• Complex Correlational Designs
9. Unit 9: Survey Research
• Overview of Survey Research
• Constructing Survey Questionnaires
• Conducting Surveys
10. Unit 10: Single-Subject Research  
• Overview of Single-Subject Research
• Single-Subject Research Designs
• The Single-Subject Versus Group “Debate”
11. Unit 11: Presenting Your Research           
• American Psychological Association (APA) Style
• Writing a Research Report in American Psychological Association (APA) Style
• Other Presentation Formats
12. Unit 12: Descriptive Statistics        
• Describing Single Variables
• Describing Statistical Relationships
• Expressing Your Results
• Conducting Your Analyses
13. Unit 13: Inferential Statistics         
• Understanding Null Hypothesis Testing
• Some Basic Null Hypothesis Tests
• Additional Considerations
• From the “Replicability Crisis” to Open Science Practices

2. Laboratory/Studio Sessions

1. Creating data sets by defining and coding data, using a codebook, and entering data
2. Running SPSS to perform statistical analyses (ex. t-test, correlation, factor analys of variance, regression, chi-square tests)
3. Manipulating data by recoding values, computing values, and selecting subsets of cases to include in an analysis
4. Managing data files by reading data that have been entered using other software, appending files, and merging files
5. Analyzing data using SPSS pull-down menus
6. Analyzing data using programs written in SPSS syntax