INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICS IN
CRIMINOLOGY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE
CCJS 200 Spring Semester 2015
Inspiring Thoughts That Guide This Class:
“Roses are red, violets are blue
I’m schizophrenic, and so am I.”
Oscar Levant
“Reality is just a crutch for people who can’t cope with drugs.” Robin Williams
“You’ve got bad eating habits if you use a grocery cart in the 7-Eleven.” Dennis Miller
“Frisbeetarianism is the belief that when you die your soul goes up on the roof and gets
stuck”.
George Carlin
Professor:
Ray Paternoster
Office Hours: Tu. & Th. 9-11 and 2-3
(Other hours by appointment)
2129 Lefrak Hall
Phone: (301)405-4724
rpaterno@umd.edu
Teaching Assistants
Danielle Ehrnstein
Office Hours: Monday 1:30 - 3:00; Tuesday 10:30 - 12:30 Friday 12:00 - 1:00 (or by
appointment)
Discussion Sections 0202, 0203, 0206
2163 Lefrak Hall
Phone: (301) 405-1709
ehrnstei@umd.edu
Emily Glazener
Office Hours: Wednesday 12:30 - 2:00; Thursday 10:30 - 12:30; Friday 11:00 – 12:00
(or by appointment)
Discussion Sections 0201, 0204, 0205
2163 Lefrak Hall
Phone: (301) 405-1709
glazener@umd.edu
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course is an introduction to descriptive and inferential statistics. As an introductory course
the expectation is that we cannot go in to any great detail in to many statistical procedures and
therefore you will want to supplement this class with one or more subsequent statistics courses.
Our goal is to provide a basic foundation for descriptive and inferential statistics that you will build
upon later. In sum, we want to put some statistical “tools” in your toolbox with the understanding
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that you will likely need and want more tools later. After this course, however, you will be able to
do and read about common statistical procedures as well as create and understand statistical
analysis as it applies to problems in the area of criminology and criminal justice. We will use
statistical procedures to study problems and answer questions where these problems and questions
pertain to crime and the criminal justice system.
COURSE PREREQUISITES
It is expected that you have taken and passed MATH 111 or higher or its equivalent (Introduction
to Probability) as well as CCJS 100 or CCJS 105 (Introduction to Criminal Justice or Introduction
to Criminology). You will also need a calculator and some proficiency in using a calculator (it does
not have to be, and probably should not be, a graphing calculator but one with square and
square root keys would be very helpful).
COURSE TEXTBOOK
Required Course Text
Ronet Bachman and Ray Paternoster
2008 Statistics for Criminology and Criminal Justice (3nd Edition). McGraw-Hill Publishing.
COURSE WORK
The best way to learn how to do statistical procedures is to practice, practice, and then practice
some more. Only for the rare (and, frankly, geeky) person (such as myself) is statistical analysis
something that can be picked-up easily and without much effort. I strongly encourage you to read
the assigned chapters ahead of class, and you should answer each of the questions at the back of
the chapter after you have read it. The answers to the chapter problems are provided for you in
your book, but only look at them after you have solved or attempted to solve the problem on your
own. There are also practice problems (and answers to those problems) for you to work on
for each chapter that can be found on the class website. In addition, you should attend your
assigned discussion group that meets weekly. In this discussion group your TA will be answering
questions you may have from the lecture and going over problems and the interpretation of
problems that were covered in class during the previous week.
COURSE GRADING
There will be five (5) exams during the semester with each exam counting twenty percent toward
your final grade. The last exam is the final exam and will cover some new material as well as
material from throughout the course. Each of the exams are problem solving exams where you
will have to calculate statistics using formulas and interpret their meaning in order to solve the
problem. I will provide you with a formula sheet to refer to for each exam so there is no need
to memorize formulas. The final exam is scheduled for Tuesday, May 19th from 1:30 – 3:30.
Final course grades will be assigned according to the following scale:
A+
97% - 100%
A
93% - 96%
A90% - 92%
B+
87% - 89%
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B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF
83% - 86%
80% - 82%
77% - 79%
73% - 76%
70% - 72%
67% - 69%
63% - 66%
60% - 62%
0% - 59%
POLICY ON EXAMINATIONS
Exams must be taken on the assigned day that it is scheduled unless you have given me a valid,
written doctor’s excuse and you must make arrangements either with me or with your teaching
assistant within three days before the exam to make up the missed exam. If you are sick the
night before the exam then you need to call me or your TA before the exam on the day of the
exam (leaving a message is ok). A phone call to me or one of the teaching assistants after the exam
saying that you missed it is not a valid excuse. A health center honor statement is not valid either
unless the note is from a doctor or is a copy of your medical record that confirms you were or will
be physically/mentally unable to take the exam.
STAYING IN TOUCH WITH THE CLASS WITH ELMS
The course uses a web-based tool called ELMS to provide you with easy and anytime access to all
information and notices about the class. In order to access this class information you must first be
registered for the class. Once registered you use your LDAP ID and password to log onto the
website. This website will contain a wealth of information about the class such as a copy of this
syllabus, practice exams, and extra-problems to work on for practice. This web site also will
contain important class announcements. You can also access your grades (but not those of others)
through ELMS once they are posted. WE WOULD STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO
ACCESS THE CLASS WEB SITE ON A REGULAR BASIS. The site address is:
http://elms.umd.edu. There is an online tutorial to help you or if you need additional assistance
please do not hesitate to ask your discussion group leader for help.
MATH ASSISTANCE
Let’s face it, if you were good at math you would most likely be a hard science or engineering
major. Many of you do not think you are good at math (though you are very likely “good enough”)
or you have an unnatural and ungodly fear of mathematics. Unfortunately there is some math in
this class. Good News # 1, it is minor math. Good News #2, there is help. If you think you are
shaky at math then read and work on the math review in Appendix A of your text book. You can
also get help from the university through its “Math Success Program”. Visit the Math Success
Center online at: http://www.resnet.umd.edu/programs/math_success/
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Academic dishonesty of any form will absolutely NOT be tolerated. The University of Maryland,
College Park has a nationally Recognized Code of Academic Integrity, administered by the Student
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Honor Council. This Code sets standards for academic integrity at Maryland for all undergraduate
and graduate students. As a student you are responsible for upholding these standards for this
course. The Student Honor Council proposed and the University Senate approved an Honor
Pledge. The University Honor Pledge reads:
“I pledge on my honor that I have not given or received any unauthorized assistance on this
assignment/examination.”
Students will be asked to sign the University approved Honor Pledge on each exam.
DISABILITY SUPPORT
I will make every effort to accommodate students who are registered with the Disability Support
Services (DSS) Office and who provide me with a University of Maryland DSS Accommodation
form which has been updated for the Fall 2009 semester. This form must be presented to me no
later than September 15, 2014. I am not able to accommodate students who are not registered
with DSS or who do not provide me with documentation that has not been reviewed by DSS after
September 15, 2014. DSS students who are requesting to take their exams at the DSS Center need
to provide me with a testing form for each exam that must be turned in to me no later than 1
week prior to each exam. The student is expected to take the exam at the same time as the rest of
the class.
RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES
If you are unable to take the any exams due to a religious observance, you will need to discuss this
with me a week before the exam.
CLASSROOM CODE OF CONDUCT
The success of this class is dependent not only on my abilities and talents as an instructor to
communicate new and complicated ideas, but also on our ability as a class to work together to
create an environment conducive to learning. As a Department and University, we expect the
faculty and students to be prepared for class and to be actively engaged in the classroom activities.
Unfortunately, disruptive behaviors in the classroom cheat other students out of their opportunity
to learn. The University of Maryland’s Code of Academic Integrity defines classroom disruption
as “behavior a reasonable person would view as substantially or repeatedly interfering with the
conduct of a class.” Examples would include coming late to class, repeatedly leaving and entering
the classroom without authorization, making loud or distracting noises, and persisting in speaking
without being recognized. As the instructor of this class, I also find the following distracting:
reading outside material, making arm farts, sleeping, loud side conversations with your neighbor
who most likely knows less than you do. Also strongly discouraged are: text messaging and using
laptops for non-academic functions (IM, e-mail, surfing, etc.). I also request that you turn cell
phones/pagers on vibrate or silent during class, and though likely compelled to, please kindly
refrain from applauding after the end of each lecture as it embarrasses me and will only serve to
dampen the self-esteem of the next instructor. Students are expected to treat each other with
respect. Disruptive behavior of any kind will not be tolerated. Students who are unable to show
civility with one another, the teaching assistants, or me will be subject to referral to the Office of
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Student Conduct or to Campus Police. You are expected to adhere to the Code of Student
Conduct.
COURSE EVALUATION
Your feedback about this course and how I have done is very important to me.
Completing a course evaluation is also part of what it means to be a member of the UMD
academic community. At the end of the semester I very much would like you to fill out the online
course evaluation. I want to bring to your attention information about the fall course evaluation
process. CourseEvalUM will be open for you to complete your course evaluation from December
2nd to December 14th. You can go directly to the website at:
(https://www.courseevalum.umd.edu/) to complete your evaluation.
WARNING!!!
This will be a very difficult class for many of you. It is particularly important, therefore,
that you not wait until the exam to do the readings. It is critical that you keep up with the
readings and do the problems at the back of each chapter in addition to practice problems.
If you find yourself struggling or falling behind, let me or your discussion group leaders
know and we will do everything we can to help you. But it is important that you do this
early rather than late, it is much, much too difficult to catch up! It is also important that
you attend the discussion group meetings because it is here where you will get practice in
working the problems covered in class.
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COURSE SCHEDULE
READING
ASSIGNMENT
Chapters 1
DAY
Tuesday
DATE
1/27
TOPIC
Introduction
Sampling, Key Statistical Terms
And Levels of Measurement
Thursday
1/29
Data Distributions
Simple Descriptions of Data
Chapter 2
Tuesday
2/3
Graphical Presentations
of Data
Chapter 3
Thursday
2/5
Measures of Central
Tendency
Chapter 4
Tuesday
2/10
Measures of Central
Tendency
Chapter 4
Thursday
2/12
Measures of Dispersion
Chapter 5
Tuesday
2/17
Measures of Dispersion
Chapter 5
Thursday
2/19
FIRST EXAMINATION
Tuesday
2/24
Probability Theory
Chapter 6
Thursday
2/26
Probability Theory &
Hypothesis Testing
Chapter 6
Tuesday
3/3
Point Estimation
Chapter 7
Thursday
3/5
Confidence Intervals
Chapter 7
Tuesday
3/10
One Population Mean
Tests
Chapter 8
Thursday
3/12
One Population Proportion
Tests
Chapter 8
Tuesday
3/24
SECOND EXAMINATION
Thursday
3/26
Hypothesis Tests with
Categorical Data I
Chapter 9
Tuesday
3/31
Hypothesis Tests with
Categorical Data Part II
Chapter 9
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READING
ASSIGNMENT
DAY
DATE
TOPIC
Thursday
4/2
Two Population Hypothesis
Tests Part I – Independent Samples
Chapter 10
Tuesday
4/7
Two Population Hypothesis
Tests Part I – Independent Samples
Chapter 10
Thursday
4/9
THIRD EXAMINATION
Tuesday
4/14
Two Population Hypothesis
Tests Part II – Dependent or Matched
Samples
Thursday
4/16
Two Population Hypothesis Tests
Part III – Proportions Tests
Tuesday
4/21
Three or More Population
Tests: Analysis of Variance
Chapter 11
Thursday
4/23
Three or More Population
Tests: Analysis of Variance
Chapter 11
Tuesday
4/28
FOURTH EXAMINATION
Thursday
4/
Correlation
Tuesday
5/5
Thursday
5/7
OLS Regression
Chapter 12
Tuesday
5/12
Introduction to
Multivariate Regression
Chapter 13
Tuesday
5/19
FINAL EXAMINATION FROM 1:30 – 3:30 IN THIS VERY ROOM
Ordinary Least Squares
Regression
Chapter 10
Chapter 10
Chapter 12
Chapter 12
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