Milestone Activity 3 Psy 311
Milestone Activity 3
Now that you've developed a research question as well as the methods and sampling by which you would answer the question, it is now time to turn your attention to how you would analyze data that would be collected in the process. In 1-3 pages (double-spaced, 12 point font, one inch margins), indicate what your variables of interest are, the type of scale of measurement the data represent, how you will make use of descriptive statistics, and what inferential approaches would be most appropriate for your data.
When considering the inferential statistics that would be most appropriate, make sure to identify your research (or alternative) hypotheses as well as the null hypothesis that would be tested for each analysis. For the purposes of this activity, you're not actually doing any analyses, you are just making it clear what analyses would be done if you had collected data and what you'd expect to find if the null hypothesis was rejected.
Having a clear sense of what statistical analyses are most appropriate, and interpretation of possible outcomes is paramount to any successful research proposal, and laying out your expectations provides an opportunity for you to demonstrate that you have synthesized how the data generated from a given research approach is best analyzed.
How do I want you to do it?
Begin by stating your null and alternative hypotheses. Then, describe in detail the descriptive data you will collect. This will include demographic data if that is pertinent to your study or another avenue you wish to investigate your variables.
When describing the descriptive data, for your primary Dependent Variable (DV), you must choose one descriptive statistic (e.g., standard deviation, range, mode) and, using hypothetical, made-up data (e.g., 5-10 data points), show the step-by-step calculation of that statistic. Explain what this descriptive value (e.g., the resulting standard deviation, the mean, median, mode) would tell you about your specific sample's data distribution.
You will then discuss the inferential statistics you will use on the data. For your primary inferential test (e.g., ANOVA, regression), identify two critical statistical assumptions (e.g., normality, homogeneity of variance, independence of observations) required for that test. For one of these assumptions, describe a plausible way the assumption could be violated in your proposed study (e.g., a heavily skewed sample). Then, propose one specific corrective action (e.g., using a non-parametric test, data transformation) you would take if that violation occurred.
Why do I want you to do it?
By carefully considering the statistical options that are available to you to answer a research question, you can demonstrate the knowledge that you've learned about research approaches as well as exhibit critical thinking skills that go into determining which statistic will best work for your data. Having a data analysis plan will fit in with your design, population, and help you in rounding out your method section for your next milestone.
How do I want you to do it?
- In 2-4 double-spaced typed pages (12-point font, one-inch margins), I'd like you to provide how you would plan to answer your research question and the rationale for the choices that you made.
What to include in your submission
Your assignment submission should include:
- A word, google doc or pdf file.