SPSS7_KelseyDonaldson_515B01

PSYC 515 H OMEWORK : C UMULATIVE SPSS A SSIGNMENT I NSTRUCTIONS O VERVIEW This worksheet is designed to assess your ability to evaluate research designs, determine the most appropriate research design, conduct statistical tests using SPSS software, and present research conslusions (including ap- propriately formatted figures) using professional conventions. Such skills are fundamental to critically consum- ing, evaluating and producing research. I NSTRUCTIONS Be sure you have reviewed this module ’ s assigned readings and presentations before completing this assign- ment. This assignment is worth 90 points. Each question is worth 5 content points except #12, which is worth 6 pts. Nine (9) points are assigned to general formatting. This includes using ensuring the homework is completed and submitted according to the instructions, SPSS output and images are legible and relevant, and that basic col- lege level writing skills (e.g., grammar, sentence structure) are used in the results write-ups. Answers should be placed where indicated (e.g., “ ANSWER”). Note: all questions must be attempted to be eligible for full credit of “ format” points. · You will use the M7 Cumulative SPSS Data file (an SPSS data file) to conduct most of the tests in this as- sessment. It is located in the folder associated with this assignment. · Please note that for all problems in this course, the standard cut-off (alpha) for a test of significance will be .05, and you always report the exact power unless SPSS output states p =.000 (you’d report p <.001). Re- member to check your graphs! You often have to ADD the y – axis title. · Submit the file as a WORD document (.doc or .docx). Make sure the filename of your submission includes your full name, course and section. o Example: SPSS7_JohnDoe_515B01 Background information on the M7 Cumulative SPSS Data Download the M7 Cumulative SPSS Data file associated with this worksheet. It has coded data that you will use to design, conduct, and interpret to demonstrate mastery of research methods and. It is updated regularly, so make sure you download the current file linked this specific term. Here is a description for each variable: Variable names and descriptions Gender 0 = male; 1 = female Events number of stressful life events that had occurred in the last year SATISFACTION average Likert-based (1-5) response to survey assessing workplace satisfaction (higher indicates higher satisfaction) Error1 this number represents identification of OSHA hazards before completing the annual OSHA training (higher # = identification of more errors) Error2 this number represents identification of OSHA hazards after completing the annual OSHA training (higher # = identification of more errors) Employee employee type (1 = sales; 2 = warehouse; 3 = management) Skills1 skills assessment taken within the first week on the job (higher = better skills) Skills2 skills assessment completed after 6 months on the job (higher = better skills) Skills3 skills assessment completed after 1 year of service (higher = better skills) Salary1 salary at time of hire Salary2 current salary Years number of years employed Personality Personality type (1 = Type “A” or 2 = Type “B”) Page 1 of 10

PSYC 515 Cumulative Scenario 1 (30 pts) Using the dataset provided, determine two variables that would be appropriate to assess using a two-group design to assess a “difference”. It can be between-subjects (BS) or within-subjects (WS) design. Use your se- lections to answer the following questions. 1. Decide on the two variables. List them using the names exactly as named within the SPSS file. For each, identify the variable type (independent or dependent). For the independent variable, indicate whether it is BS or WS. For the dependent variable, indicate its scale of measurement (nominal, ordinal, or scale). ANSWER Gender/events. Gender acts as the independent factor while events are influenced by it. The gender, which is the independent variable, is considered between different groups of subjects. The scale level of measurement for the dependent variable, events, is important to understand. 2. State the null and research hypotheses based on the variables you selected, labeling one as the “null” and one as “research”. Explain why you used a one- or two-tailed hypothesis, noting the grade on that portion is solely based on the consistency of your justification with your choice of tail type. ANSWER The average amount of stressful events that happened in the past year for both men and women is not signifi- cantly different. Research shows that the average number of stressful life events experienced in the past year varies greatly between males and females. I chose a two-sided hypothesis because I just want to find out if the difference between the two averages is important or not. I don't care about finding out which one is bigger or smaller. 3. Paste all relevant statistical output in the space provided below: Page 2 of 10

PSYC 515 ANSWER Figure 1. Stressful Events by Gender 6. Present the results using APA format. This includes a full write-up to include a complete statistical no- tation as shown in the weekly presentations. Make sure to describe what the conclusions mean in gen- eral terms. You must include a call-out to Figure 1. Examples of APA results sections are also avail- able in the “Helpful Hints” document. ANSWER Figure 1 presents the comparison of mean number of stressful events in the last year between male and female employees. Table 1 provides additional descriptive information for both groups. The results indicate that male employees (M = 3.92, SD = 0.75) had a slightly higher mean number of stressful events compared to female employees (M = 3.88, SD = 0.66). To determine the statistical significance of this mean difference, an independent samples t-test was conducted. The t-test results revealed that the observed difference was not statistically significant, t(40) = 0.18, p = .862 (as shown in Table 2.) Page 4 of 10

PSYC 515 Cumulative Scenario 2 (31 pts) Using the dataset provided, select one variable that is within subjects (can be two or three levels) and one that is scale that will serve as your dependent variable. You cannot use a scenario from a previous answer (you can re-use one of the variables, but not both). Use your selections to answer the following questions. 7. Decide on the two variables. List them using the names exactly as named within the SPSS file. State the null and research hypotheses based on the variables you selected, labeling one as the “null” and one as “research”. ANSWER Salary1/Salary2. The average salary when employees are hired is not significantly different from their current average salary. Research shows that there is a big gap in the average salaries of employees when they are first hired and their current average salary. 8. Paste all relevant statistical output in the space provided below: ANSWER Table 3. Table 4. Page 5 of 10

PSYC 515 able in the “Helpful Hints” document. ANSWER Based on the results presented in Figure 2 and the paired sample statistics shown in Table 2, it is apparent that the current salaries (M = 6062.83, SD = 1332.76) are higher compared to the salaries at the time of hire (M = 5203.36, SD = 1365.59). To assess the statistical significance of this mean difference, a paired samples t-test was conducted. The analy- sis showed a significant mean difference, t(41) = -6.58, p < .001. 12. Discuss one concern you could imagine regarding internal validity, and one concern regarding external validity as they specifically relate to the scenario you created for this section. (HINT: You can look up the definitions of “internal validity” and “external validity” in your ebook glossery as a reminder – but then must apply those definitions to envision your own concerns related to them!) The points are solely on whether the justifications are consistent with the definitions and are realistic given the general nature of the scenario you selected (3 pts each = 6 pts total) ANSWER One concern regarding internal validity is that the company has a culture of hiring people with no experience in relation to the job they are hired for and increasing their salaries after training and gaining experience. One problem regarding external validity is that the sample consists mainly of employees who have been promoted instead of the entry-level or non-promoted employees this may limit the EV of the study, Cumulative Scenario 3 (30 pts) Using the dataset provided, select two variables you would like to examine regarding a “relationship”. Use your selections to answer the following questions. 13. Decide on the two variables. List them using the names exactly as named within the SPSS file. Indicate the scale of measurement for each variable (nominal, ordinal, or scale). State the null and research hy- potheses based on the variables you selected, labeling one as the “null” and one as “research”. Explain why you used a one- or two-tailed hypothesis, noting the grade on that portion is solely based on your justification. ANSWER Satisfaction/Salary2. Both variables are measured on a scale level. No: An employee's current salary is not re- lated to how satisfied they are with their workplace. Research shows that the salary an employee receives and their satisfaction with the workplace are connected in a straight line. I chose a two-tailed hypothesis to simply find out if there is a connection or not. 14. Use the degrees of freedom from your SPSS output or if necessary, hand-calculate them using the for- Page 7 of 10

PSYC 515 mulas in your e-book. Using the Appendix in your e-book to find the critical value, and list it here (do NOT round – include all decimal places). Also label and state your obtained value from your SPSS out- put. Is the critical value SMALLER or LARGER than the obtained value from your SPSS output? Does this mean you REJECT or FAIL TO REJECT the null hypothesis? Does this mean the results are “sig- nificant” or “non-significant”? ANSWER Critical value 0.3044. Value from the SPSS output is 0.383. The obtained value is bigger than the critical value. The null hypothesis was refused. Results are significant. 15. Paste all relevant statistical output in the space provided below: ANSWER Table 5. 16. Create an appropriate graph in SPSS and format it using professional conventions. Present it as Figure 3 in the space below. Make sure you include the figure label (Figure 3), and create a Figure Title – all of this must be in proper format (including spacing and font style). Page 8 of 10

PSYC 515 Note: Your assignment will be checked for originality via the Turnitin plagiarism tool. Page 10 of 10