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Analyzing Attitudes and Applications in Psychology

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
101 views5 pages

Analyzing Attitudes and Applications in Psychology

Uploaded by

bountystorm6394
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

PSYC 354

SPSS HOMEWORK: FREQUENCY TABLES, HISTOGRAMS, AND BAR


CHARTS TEMPLATE

Problem Set 1: A social psychologist is interested in attitudes toward technology among people
over 65 years of age. She develops a scale where a lower score indicates a less positive attitude
and administers it to 15 people over 65. The results appear in the table below. Remember to put
your initials within any and all variable names.

Attitudes Toward
Technology Scale Scores
11
20
7
7
12
12
5
9
14
7
5
7
9
14
12

1. Using the data in the table above, set up a data file in SPSS and create a frequency table
to show the frequency of each score on the scale. Paste the frequency table here: (8 pts)

Attitude
Valid Cumulative
Frequency Percent Percent Percent
Valid 5 2 13.3 13.3 13.3
7 4 26.7 26.7 40.0
9 2 13.3 13.3 53.3
11 1 6.7 6.7 60.0
12 3 20.0 20.0 80.0
14 2 13.3 13.3 93.3
20 1 6.7 6.7 100.0
Total 15 100.0 100.0

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PSYC 354

2. How many people have a score of 14? (5 pts)


2
3. What percent of people have a score of 12? (5 pts)
20%
4. Which score has the highest frequency in the table? (5 pts)
7
5. Using the same data, create a histogram in SPSS to show the distribution of the scores.
Paste the histogram here: (7 pts)

Problem Set 2: An undergraduate Psychology student wants to examine the number of


applications to doctoral programs in different subfields of Psychology. He collects data from a
sample of schools in the US. He compiles the chart below. (The data here are based on real data
taken from the web site of the American Psychological Association
([Link]
Enter the data in a new SPSS file. When creating the Program variable, be sure that the type is
set to “String” in the Variable View so that the names will show up on the graph. Remember to
put your initials within any and all variable names.

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PSYC 354

Subfield Number of Applications


Clinical 297
Cognitive 123
Counseling 91
Developmental 101
Experimental 80
I/O 67
Neuropsychology 83
School 59
Social 194
Other 33

1. Using the data in the table above, set up a data file in SPSS and create a bar chart that
shows the number of applications for each subfield. (8 pts)

2. Which three subfields have the highest number of applications according to the graph? (5
pts)
Clinical, social, and cognitive are the three highest numbers of subfield applicants.

3. Which level of measurement (nominal/ordinal/interval/ratio) is the variable “Subfield?


Support your answer with information from the course materials (textbook or
presentations). (5 pts)

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PSYC 354

The variable Subfield falls under the nominal measurement. According to Essentials of
statistics for the Behavioral Sciences (Gravetter et al., 2019), nominal measurements are a
list of names in a grouping that do not relate numerically or measurement of quantity. The
subfield variable is a list of decorate programs applicants at college.

4. Which level of measurement is the variable “Number of Applications”? Support your


answer with information from the course materials (textbook or presentations). (5 pts)
The variable Number of Applications falls under the ordinal measurement. In order to meet
the criteria for ordinal measurement the variable must categorize in an ordered sequence
(Gravetter et al., 2019). This variable was in sequence by the amount of applications that
each sub major had received.

Integration: Answer the following question based on Problems 1 and 2 above and what you
have learned from readings and presentations this week.

1. Explain why it is appropriate to create a histogram for the Attitudes Toward Technology
data, but a bar chart for the number of applications per subfield. (7 pts)

In the first set of data the is represented in Attitudes Towards Technology, the information
displays the frequency of each rating, within equal intervals. Since the category is related
through the ratings, the display of the bars will have no space in-between. Both of these are
determining factors to decide that the histogram would make a better choice. A bar graph has
spaces between each bar to emphasize that each bar is different individual classifications.

Page 4 of 5
PSYC 354

References

Gravetter, F. J., Wallnau, L. B., & Forzano, L. B. (2019). Essentials of statistics for the

Behavioral Sciences (10th ed.) [Ebook]. Cengage Learning.

[Link]

b4835b3221eb4bb61dee2d5560b8f0b6?scrollTo=search-text-1&search=ordinal

Page 5 of 5

Common questions

Powered by AI

The variable 'Subfield' is measured at the nominal level, which categorizes variables without a specific order or numerical relation, like names of different psychology subfields. On the other hand, 'Number of Applications' is measured at the ordinal level, as it not only categorizes but also ranks data in an ordered sequence based on the number of applications each subfield received .

Understanding measurement levels enhances data analysis by dictating the appropriate statistical tests and visualization methods for the data. For example, nominal data like 'Subfield' can appropriately be displayed with bar graphs, while ordinal data such as rankings need different analysis techniques. Knowing the correct measurement level ensures valid, interpretable results in research .

The ordinal level implies that statistical analyses need to accommodate ranked order without assuming equal intervals, such as using medians or non-parametric tests. It is inappropriate to apply parametric tests that assume interval data, as this could distort findings due to the assumption of interval equivalence in the original data .

A frequency table organizes data by tallying the occurrence of each distinct score or category, allowing researchers to quickly interpret the data distribution, central tendency, and data spread. It simplifies data initially, making it easier to spot trends or issues before more complex analyses, which is crucial for psychological studies that often handle large datasets .

The bar chart effectively represents the number of applications by clearly segregating distinct categorical variables (subfields) and showing their quantities. Unlike pie charts, bar charts allow easy comparison across different categories due to hierarchical arrangement, and unlike histograms, they highlight categorical differences with spaces. This visibility of distinction aids in analyzing popularity or demand across subfields .

The variable 'Subfield' is not suitable for interval or ratio measurement levels because it is categorical in nature, representing distinct categories (psychology subfields) without inherent order or a true zero point. Interval and ratio measurements require numerical values that allow meaningful comparisons of magnitude, which is not applicable in this context .

The histogram visually depicts the distribution by showing bars that represent the frequency of each score range on the scale. Since the data is continuous, the bars touch to indicate that the values lie within a continuous interval, allowing observers to quickly assess the skewness, central tendencies, and spread of the attitudes among participants .

The Attitudes Toward Technology data is suitable for a frequency table as it provides a clear count of the number of occurrences of each score across the sample. This allows for easy identification of the distribution and frequency of attitudes among participants aged over 65, facilitating comparisons and analyses of the scores .

A histogram is used for quantitative data that is continuous, such as the Attitudes Toward Technology scores which represent intervals of attitude measures. The bars in a histogram touch each other to indicate these intervals are related and continuous. In contrast, a bar chart is used for categorical data, such as the number of applications per psychology subfield. Each subfield is a distinct category, and using a bar chart emphasizes the separateness by displaying the bars with spaces in between them .

The frequency table indicates the number of participants who attained each score, enabling us to see that score 7 occurred most frequently among the given scores, suggesting it is the mode. The table also shows cumulative percentages, which help illustrate that a substantial portion (26.7%) had this score, indicating prevalent moderately positive attitudes among participants .

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