m2a1

 
Assignment 1: Working with Descriptive Statistics
By the due date assigned, post your responses in the Discussion Area:

Review M1A2, the SPSS Tutorial on Data Handling. From this and what you now know after having read chapters 5-7 in the textbook by George and Mallery (pp. 72-79 specifically), and having completed the SPSS Tutorial on Data Handling in Module 1,  generate a question that you may have that the data in M1A2, could answer.  For example (and now you cannot use this question) “What is the number of student participants in the study by year in college?
Next, open SPSS, and locate the M1A2 file that you generated when you completed that assignment. Using the skills that you learned after completing M1A2, the SPSS Tutorial on Data Handling, the reading and lessons in chapters 5-7 in the textbook by George and Mallery (pp. 72-79 specifically), and parts 1 & 2 in the Steinberg textbook (pp. 43-47 specifically), run the descriptive statistic that will answer your question.
Create a histogram. You may want to superimpose a normal curve on it. Feel free to use other tables and graphs.  MOST IMPORTANTLY, KEEP THIS SIMPLE; THE QUESTION THAT YOU ASK IS DESCRIPTIVE.  HOW MUCH, HOW OFTEN.  USE ONLY ONE STATISTIC AND ONE VARIABLE AT A TIME.  DO NOT ASK A QUESTION WITH TWO VARIABLES. WE ARE DOING DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS. WE ARE NOT DOING INFERENTIAL STATS YET.           
Compare the look of your graph to the statistics on Table 5 (located in the Module 2 online lecture under Characterizing Frequency Distributions (1 of 2).
Discuss what you found. How did running the descriptive statistic answer your question?  Interpret the data in terms of the behavior of each variable. Use the vocabulary and statistical language presented in this module to describe your graph and findings.
Discuss your finding with your classmates by commenting on at least two of your peers’ posts and responding to what is written about your post through the end of the module.
As you describe what you found, be sure you give credit to any sources (our textbooks etc.) where you paraphrase or quote definitions, meanings etc. and use APA style in your works cited/bibliography at the end of your paper.

Discuss these findings with your classmates and instructor online.

Your attached file with the results of the analysis needs to be in Microsoft Word format.
(During your dissertation days, you will examine your own data yourself much the way we are doing it in this section if you collect quantitative data)
All written assignments and responses should follow APA rules for attributing sources.
Assignment 1 Grading CriteriaMaximum PointsApplied descriptive statistics.4Posed question on single stat or set of statistics.4Generated frequency distribution histograms.4Provided interpretation of data using appropriate vocabulary from the Module.4Provided substantive comments to at least two classmates’ postings.4Wrote in a clear, concise, and organized manner; demonstrated ethical scholarship in accurate representation and attribution of sources, displayed accurate spelling, grammar, and punctuation.4Total:24