Overview
GSS Bivariate Analysis Final Paper – Complete Assignment Brief + Prior Work Context
### Overview
This is a **final research paper (maximum 3 pages, not including bibliography or appendix)** for a sociology course.
The paper must analyze a **sociological research question** using the **2018 General Social Survey (GSS)** dataset and **SPSS**.
The goal is to demonstrate semester-long learning by:
* Forming a clear research question and hypothesis
* Using prior GSS/SPSS skills
* Running **both univariate and bivariate statistical analyses**
* Interpreting SPSS output correctly
* Connecting findings to existing sociological literature
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## What I Have Already Done (Important Context)
### Previous Mini-Research Assignment Topic
For my **mini-research paper**, I focused on the relationship between **political ideology and trust in government**.
### Draft Research Question from Prior Assignment
> How does political ideology relate to trust in the government?
### Why This Topic
I chose this topic because politics in the United States are highly polarized. I was interested in whether:
* Trust in government depends on ideological alignment, **or**
* People lack trust in government regardless of political ideology due to entrenched beliefs and polarization
### Variables Used Previously
* I used **GSS variables related to political ideology** and **trust in government**
* These variables came from the **GSS dataset** and were analyzed using **SPSS**
* For the final paper, I planned to:
* Use **similar variables** from my earlier assignment
* Possibly **adjust or refine them** to better fit the final research question and findings
### Skills Already Practiced
From earlier assignments, I have already:
* Formed a sociological research question using GSS survey questions
* Selected independent and dependent variables
* Conducted **univariate analysis in SPSS**
* Interpreted basic frequency tables and measures of central tendency
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## Known Challenges / Areas to Be Careful About
These are things I explicitly struggled with and need guidance on:
* Staying **consistent and focused** on:
* The research question
* The chosen variables
* The findings throughout the paper
* Knowing **how far interpretation should go**:
* I am unsure how much interpretation is expected beyond describing the statistical patterns shown in the data
* I want to avoid over-interpreting results beyond what the data supports
This means the final paper should:
* Stick closely to what the **SPSS output actually shows**
* Use literature to **contextualize**, not speculate beyond the data
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## Technical Requirements
* **Dataset:** General Social Survey (GSS), **2018**
* **Software:** SPSS
* **Length:**
* Max **3 pages** (main paper only)
* Bibliography and Appendix **do not count** toward page limit
* **Variables:**
* Can reuse variables from earlier GSS assignments or choose new ones
* Variables must determine which bivariate test is appropriate
* **Appendix:**
* Must include SPSS output tables showing that analyses were run
You do **not** need to deeply understand the math, but you **must run and interpret** SPSS output correctly.
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## Required Structure & Content
### 1. Introduction (≈ ½ page)
Must include:
* Clear **primary research question**
* Brief **summary of existing literature**
* Brief **description of data and methods**
* Brief **summary of findings and conclusion**
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### 2. Literature Review (≈ ½ page)
Must include:
* Summary of findings from **at least 3 peer-reviewed academic sources**
* Shows what is already known about the topic
* Leads logically into the hypothesis
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### 3. Research Hypothesis
* Clearly stated expectation of what the analysis will show
* Based on the literature review
* Must be explicitly accepted or rejected later in the paper
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### 4. Description of the Data (≈ ½ page)
Must include:
* Statement that the paper uses the **2018 GSS dataset**
* Description of:
* **Independent variable(s)** (e.g., political ideology)
* **Dependent variable(s)** (e.g., trust in government)
* Explanation of:
* How variables were measured
* Possible response categories
* If variables were **recoded (optional)**, explain how and why
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### 5. Data Analysis (≈ 1 page)
#### Univariate Analysis
* Describe:
* Frequency distributions **and/or**
* Measures of central tendency (mean, median, mode), as appropriate
* Tables must be included in the **appendix**
#### Bivariate Analysis
* Must run **one appropriate bivariate test**, based on level of measurement:
* Chi-square
* T-test
* ANOVA
* Linear regression
* Describe:
* The relationship between political ideology and trust in government
* Key SPSS results
* Determine:
* **Statistical significance**
* Identify **p-value**
* Accept or reject the **null hypothesis**
* Accept or reject the **research hypothesis**
* SPSS tables must be included in the **appendix**
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### 6. Findings & Conclusion (≈ ½ page)
Must include:
* Clear summary of:
* Univariate findings
* Bivariate findings
* Explicit statement of:
* Whether hypothesis was accepted or rejected
* Discussion of:
* How findings **agree or disagree** with prior research from the literature review
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### 7. Bibliography (Not included in page limit)
* Citations for:
* **At least 3 peer-reviewed journal articles**
* The course textbook (if required)
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### 8. Appendix (Not included in page limit)
Must include:
* SPSS output tables for:
* Univariate analysis
* Bivariate analysis
* Tables serve as proof the analysis was actually run
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## Grading Rubric (100 Points Total)
Each section is worth **10 points**:
* Introduction
* Research Question
* Literature Review
* Hypothesis
* Data Description
* Univariate Analysis
* Bivariate Analysis
* Significance Testing
* Findings & Conclusion
* Works Cited