STATISTICS ASSIGNMENT

STATISTICS ASSIGNMENT 

Analyze t test and ANOVA

Activity Description

You will submit one Word document and one SPSS data file. You will create the Word document by cutting and pasting SPSS output into Word.

Part A. Dependent t test
For this assignment, we are interested in finding out whether participation in a creative writing course results in increased scores of a creativity assessment. For this part of the activity, you will be using the data file “Activity 4a.sav”. In this file, “Participant” is the numeric student identifier, “CreativityPre” contains creativity pre-test scores, and “CreativityPost” contains creativity post-test scores. A total of 40 students completed the pre-test, took the creativity course, and then took the post-test.

1. Exploratory Data Analysis/Hypotheses
   1. Perform exploratory data analysis on CreativityPre and CreativityPost. Using SPSS, calculate the mean and standard deviation of these two variables.
   2. Construct an appropriate chart/graph that displays the relevant information for these two variables.
   3. Write the null and alternative hypotheses used to test the question above (e.g., whether participation in the course affects writing scores).
2. Comparison of Means
   1. Perform a dependent t test to assess your hypotheses above (note that many versions of SPSS use the term “paired samples t test” rather than “dependent t test”; the test itself is the same.
   2. In APA style, write one or two paragraphs that describe the dataset, gives your hypothesis, and presents the results of the dependent sample t test.

Part B. Independent t test
We will start with the data file used in Part A (“Activity 4a.sav”). Suppose, however, you [the researcher] encountered a small problem during data collection: after the post-tests were collected, you realized that the post-test form did not ask for the students’ identification number. As such, it will be impossible to match pre-test scores to post-test scores. Rather than simply give up, you start thinking about the data you do have and try to determine whether you can salvage your project. In assessing the situation, you realize that you have 40 pre-test scores and 40 post-test scores, but no way to link them. While it will result in a weaker comparison, you determine that you are still able to compare pre-test vs. post-test scores; you will use a between-subjects design rather than a within-subjects design.

1. Create the data set.
   1. Using the “Activity 4a.sav” file as a starting point, create a new dataset that you can use with the between subjects design. Hint: you will no longer need the variables CreativityPre and CreativityPost. Instead, you have only one variable for the score on the creativity test. A second (or grouping) variable will serve to indicate which test the student took.
   2. Save this dataset as Activity 4b.sav and remember to submit the file.
2. Exploratory Data Analysis/Hypotheses.
   1. Perform exploratory data analysis on the creativity variable in the new dataset,
      Activity 4b.sav. Using SPSS, calculate the mean and standard deviation using the
      grouping variable.