Overview
INTRODUCTION:
Our third assessment will cover hypothesis testing methods, including binomial, z, and t tests. We will explore the essential concept of hypothesis testing, a cornerstone of psychological research. Hypothesis testing allows us to make informed decisions based on data, helping us determine whether our observations are due to chance or reflect true effects. This skill is crucial for psychology students, as it underpins much of the research and evidence-based practice in the field.
You will learn how to formulate clear and testable hypotheses. We will cover the distinction between the null hypothesis (H₀) and the alternative hypothesis (H₁), and you'll gain hands-on experience using JASP to conduct hypothesis tests for proportions and means.
Understanding and interpreting p values will be a key focus. The p value helps us determine the statistical significance of our results, guiding us in making decisions about whether to reject the null hypothesis. This process is fundamental in psychology, where we often seek to understand the effectiveness of interventions, the relationships between variables, and the prevalence of behaviors or conditions.
By the end of this assessment, you will be equipped with the skills to interpret the results of a hypothesis test and draw meaningful conclusions. These abilities are not only vital for your coursework but also for your future career in the social sciences. Hypothesis testing is the backbone of evidence-based practice, ensuring that the methods and interventions you use are scientifically validated and effective. Let's dive into the fascinating world of hypothesis testing and enhance our understanding of psychological phenomena!
OVERVIEW:
For this assessment you will conduct a binomial test. You will also conduct a test to compare two means.
PREPARATION:
Before you begin this assessment, complete the following:
- Download the Assessment 3 Worksheet [DOCX].
- Download the Assessment_3a_Data.csv file.
- Download the Assessment_3b_Data.csv file.
SOURCES:
Read the following from the Learning Statistics with JASP: Capella PSYC3700 Version:
- Assessment 3: Introduction to Hypothesis Testing and Comparing Two Means reading list.
- Chapter 8, “Hypothesis Testing."
- Chapter 9, “Comparing Two Means.”
These videos demonstrate how to obtain the output shown in the textbook.
- JASP – One Sample Mean t Test: Dr. Zeppo Example.
- JASP – One Sample Mean t Test: Dani’s Sleep Example.
- JASP – Two Independent Means t Test: Dr. Harpo Example.
- JASP – Computing a Difference Score.
- JASP – Paired Means t Test: Dr. Chico's Example.
- JASP – Checking for Normality: afl.margins.
- JASP - Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test: Happiness.
- JASP - Mann-Whitney U Test: Awesomeness.
The following videos review content from the reading:
- Writing Hypothesis Statements.
- Type I & Type II Errors.
- Test Statistics & Sampling Distributions.
- Hypothesis Testing: Making Decisions.
- Hypothesis Testing Example: Single Proportion – Binomial Test.
- Hypothesis Testing: p Value Approach.
- Effect Size.
- Statistical Power.
GRADING COMPETENCIES:
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and scoring guide criteria:
- Competency 1: Communicate research findings using data visualizations.
- Interpret descriptive statistics and graphs in relation to the assumptions of an inferential test.
- Competency 2: Interpret statistical findings in the context of their level of statistical and practical significance.
- Determine if the binomial test is statistically significant.
- Interpret the results of a binomial test for an audience with minimal statistical knowledge discussing both statistical and practical significance.
- Interpret the statistical significance of a hypothesis test.
- Competency 3: Conduct statistical analyses to address research questions in the social sciences.
- Write hypothesis statements for a given scenario.
- Conduct a binomial test in JASP.
- Use JASP to compute descriptive statistics and to construct graphs.
- Write hypothesis statements for a given scenario.
- Use JASP to conduct an inferential statistical analysis.
- Competency 7: Explain the results of statistical analyses in common language.
- Summarize the results of a hypothesis test in APA style.