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Psych Statistics 207B
Spring, 2003
Knox 20, 11:00-12:20, TR
Instructor: Dr. Craig Colder
This course will provide an introduction to the basic concepts used in statistics in the social sciences.
The format of the course will be lecture followed immediately by problem sets that cover the material
in the course. I will look to you to provide me with feedback about how you are doing. YOU MUST
ASK QUESTIONS IN CLASS AND IN LAB! If you have a question, rest assured that other
students in the room also have the same question. Don’t ever be afraid to ask questions because they
seem “dumb”. It is important that you stop me during class when you don’t understand something,
rather than proceeding at the risk of not grasping an important concept.
Office Hours and appointments
If you cannot make any of the following office hours, please contact me or your TA to set up an
alternative time.
Dr. Colder:
Office: Park Hall 235
Phone: 645-3650 ext. 235
E-mail: ccolder@acsu.buffalo.edu
Office Hours: Monday 8:30 – 9:30, Tuesday 9:00 – 10:00
Teaching Assistants:
Katy Bottonari
Jaye Derrick
Kirstin Stauffacher
Anna Nelson
Office: Park 217
Phone: 645-3650 Ext. 579
Email: kb35@acsu.buffalo.edu
Office hours: Wed. 12:00-1:00
Lab B1 Friday 10:00-10:50 Knox 20
Lab B2 Friday 11:00-11:50 Knox 104
Office: Park 224
Phone: 645-3650 Ext. 373
Email: jderrick@acsu.buffalo.edu
Office hours: Tuesday 12:30 – 1:30
Lab B3 Wed. 3:00-3:50
NSC 215
Lab B4 Wed. 4:00-4:50
NSC 216
Office: Park Hall, 243
Phone: 645-3650 Ext. 236
Email: ks78@acsu.buffalo.edu
Office hours: Wed. 10:30 – 11:30
Lab B5 Friday 8:00-8:50
Knox 109
Lab B6 Friday 9:00-9:50
Knox 109
Office: Park Hall, 224
Phone: 645-3650 Ext. 330
Email: anelson@acsu.buffalo.edu
Office hours: Tuesday 2:00 – 3:00
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Lab B7 Monday 2:00-2:50
Lab B8 Monday 3:00-3:50
Knox 104
Knox 104
Attendance
Historically, absences in this class have been devastating to student progress, not because of a
penalty that I impose, but rather because the course is completely cumulative. Students with poor
attendance records have done poorly in this class over the past years. You cannot miss lectures and
then expect to follow the lecture when you return to class. Nor can you do the homework in a timely
fashion if you miss class. My advice: don’t miss class.
Class Conduct
Disrespectful behavior will not be permitted because it is disruptive. You are not required to
attend lecture. Therefore, if you need to sleep, talk with a friend, read the paper, study for another class,
or talk on your cell phone, then don’t come to class. If I feel that your behavior is disrespectful to me
or to the other students in class, I will ask you to leave the class.
Calculators: You should have a simple calculator that can take square roots. Graphing and other
scientific calculators that allow you to input formulas and other text CANNOT be used during exams.
If you are found using one of these calculators during the exam then the calculator will be confiscated
and returned to you after you finish the exam.
Text: Gravetter, F. J., & Wallnau, L. B. (2002). Essentials of statistics for the behavioral sciences (4th
edition). Brooks/Cole Publishing Company: Pacific Grove, CA.
Study Guide (not required): Study guide for Gravetter and Wallnau’s Essentials of Statistics for the
Behavioral Sciences (4th Edition). Brooks/Cole Publishing Company: Pacific Grove, CA.
Class web page: http://wings.buffalo.edu/soc-sci/psychology/courses/207/psy207.html
NOTE: It is best to access the class web page using Microsoft Internet Explorer. This will make
reading and printing PowerPoint slides and tables easier. If you try to view a slide and it doesn’t load,
then hit the refresh button at the top of your browser.
Exams
There will be 4 non-cumulative exams. The exams will be multiple-choice and each will be
worth 100 points. You must take all 4 tests. None will be dropped. The only excuse for missing a
test is your illness or a very, very grave circumstance, both of which must be verified in writing (e.g., a
physicians note) shortly after the missed exam. For those of you who miss an exam because of one of
the above reasons with appropriate verification, there will be one make-up exam period at the end of
the semester (April 24 11:00-12:20, Knox 20). This will be the ONLY option to make up missed
exams. If you miss an exam because of a grave circumstance, but you can’t take the make-up on this
day, then you will receive a 0 for that exam. Each test will cover material from lecture, the text, and
the problem sets. You do not need to memorize formulas for the exams. All necessary formulas will
be supplied with the exam. Exam grades will be posted on the class web page, usually within 5 days of
the exam.
Exam-day procedures
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Because of the large size of the class, it is important that exams are administered in a strictly
organized fashion to insure fair and adequate testing conditions. Therefore, strict procedures will be
followed. Any student who does not comply with all of the following procedures will receive zero
points on the exam:
1. You must bring your SUNYCard, 2 sharpened number 2 pencils, and a calculator. I will not
provide pencils or calculators if you forget yours.
2. Arrive on time and take a seat, filling in the front rows first. No one will be allowed
to enter the room to take an exam after the first person has left the room.
3. During the exam:
A. Place all materials under your seat, out of view of yourself and other students.
B. Keep the exam flat on the table, except to turn the page. Do not hold the exam up in
front of you to read the questions.
C. You may write on the exam. If you need to make notations, make sure that these are
too small to be seen by a fellow student.
4. Hand in both the answer sheet and test as you leave the room. Make sure that you have your
SUNYCard ready to show the proctor as you hand in the exam.
Extra-Credit Problem Sets
There will be 12 problem sets. You are not required to do these problem sets, but you are
strongly encouraged to complete them. The problem sets are designed to give you practice with hand
calculations and to earn extra-credit. Familiarity with hand calculation of statistics will help you
understand the concepts covered in class. Your TA will go over the problem sets in Lab on the
assigned week (see class schedule below). I recommend that you complete the problem sets before
your TA reviews the material. This will help you identify topics that you don’t understand, and will
give you an opportunity to correct your mistakes. You can attend any lab you like, but you must hand
in your problem sets to your assigned TA. DO NOT HAND PROBLEM SETS TO DR. COLDER.
Your TA will collect problem sets to check whether or not you have completed them. TAs will not
grade or correct problem sets, they are just keeping a record of who completes each problem set. You
are expected to attend lab so that you can correct your own problem sets. You will receive extracredit for completing each problem set. You will receive 1.5 points for handing in a completed
problem set on the assigned date. Problem sets can be picked up during the following lab meeting, or
during your TA’s office hours. It is your responsibility to pick up the problem sets from your TA in a
timely fashion. You will not be given credit for completed problem sets that are handed after the
specified due date and time. No problem sets will be collected after the specified due date. I have
made this rule because doing the problem sets on time will help you keep up with the class and prepare
for tests. The class material will be cumulative. If you fall behind at some point, everything that
follows won’t make sense. I urge you to keep up with the problem sets. The problem sets should be
neatly written and well organized so that you can easily study from them. Questions should be clearly
numbered. For problems involving calculations, you should show all of your work. This will make it
easier for you to study from your problem sets. Make sure to include your name and Person
number on the problem set. From time to time the lecture may lag behind problem sets. This is OK
and problem sets will still be due on the date specified in your syllabus (see class schedule starting on
line 262). The important point is that you are getting repeated exposure to the material. This will help
you learn statistics better.
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Final Grade
Your final grade in the course is based on your total points accumulated on the 4 exams. The only
opportunity for extra credit will be the points earned for problem sets. The points earned for your
problem sets will be added to your total. Cutoffs for letter grades are based on the following points
earned:
Total Points Letter Grade
376-400
A
360-375
A348-359
B+
336-347
B
320-335
B304-319
C+
288-303
C
272-287
C256-271
D+
240-255
D
Below 240
F
How to study
The class material will be cumulative. If you fall behind at some point, everything that follows
won’t make sense. It is critical that you study consistently throughout the semester. My experience has
shown that if you do not keep up with this course and cram for exams, then you won’t do well.
The following studying strategy is taken from Maki, R. H. & Maki, W. S. (1999) Study guide
for Kalat’s Introduction to Psychology. NY: Wadsworth Publishing. For more detailed information,
please see their guide.
Survey, Process meaningfully, Ask questions, and Review and self-test are 4 recommended
steps to follow as you study the course material.
1. Survey: The objective here is to figure out what to learn. To meet this objective, it is
helpful to have a general idea of the topics covered.
Text: Each chapter of your book starts with a brief outline of the material to be covered.
Read the outline to get an overview before you read the entire chapter. Each chapter ends with
a summary. Read the summary and ask yourself what information you will need to understand
each point made in the summary. Do this before you start reading the entire chapter.
Lecture: Look at the syllabus so you know what material will be covered each day.
Read the relevant material before going to class so that you have a background for the material
being presented in lecture. From time to time the class may lag behind or move ahead of the
syllabus, and so you need to attend class and listen to lecture to make sure that you are on
schedule.
2. Process meaningfully: The objective here is to understand the material in a meaningful way.
This means processing the material deeply and not simply memorizing.
Text: Read the chapters carefully. Read the chapter before lecture. Stop and think
about what you have read at the end of each section. Don’t just memorize because understanding is
critical. Try to relate the material to what you already know. Think of other examples of concepts. At
the end of each major section in each chapter you will find “Learning Check.” These are questions to
help you review the material you’ve just read. These questions will force you to actively think about
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the material at a deep level after you have read it. Try to answer these questions. If you get a question
wrong, then write down the correct answer along with you incorrect answer and review the relevant
section of your text. Be sure to write down why your answer was incorrect.
Lecture: Read over your notes after class and write comments in the margins. This is
when you should fill in pieces of information that you missed or clarify a point that is unclear. Try to
add examples or apply concepts to other situations.
3. Ask questions: The objective here is to anticipate the kind of questions that you will be
asked later so you will have practice picking out the important concepts.
Text: You should complete the problems at the end of each chapter. The answers to the
odd numbered problems are in the back of the book. If you get a problem wrong, write down
the correct answer and go back to the relevant material in your book. Make a note about why
your answer is incorrect. If you still don’t understand why your answer is incorrect, then see
the TA or your instructor. The same should be done for the 12 problem sets.
Lecture: Review your lecture notes. Write out an exam question for each main point
presented.
4. Review and Self-test: The objective here is to test your memory and understanding of the
material. It is important that you identify the material that has not been well learned before the exam
so that you can study this material.
Text: At the end of each chapter is “Focus on problem solving.” Write out answers to
these questions and check them against the material in your text. If you have trouble with any of these
questions, then you have not learned that concept. Re-read the relevant section of your text until you
are able to respond to each question. The study guide also reviews the material and has self-test
questions that follow along with each chapter.
Lecture: Write out answers to the questions that you wrote in the margins of your
lecture notes. Check the answers against your notes. If you can’t generate good answers than see your
TA or instructor.
The above steps should be done continuously AS WE COVER the relevant material in class. Don’t try
to cram these steps into the week before an exam. If you follow the above steps each week, then when
it comes time for an exam you will be almost ready. There should be no need for cramming. Use your
questions, notes, problem sets, and text to review for the test. Write out answers to your questions and
the “Focus on problem solving” questions again. Spend some time comparing your new answers with
your old ones. Review any material that you have forgotten. Read over each chapter outline and give a
one or two sentence summary of each topic. If you have trouble doing this, then review the relevant
material. Go back to the problems at then end of each chapter and the problem sets, and review
questions that you missed. Make sure that you understand why your incorrect answers are incorrect.
In summary, it is important to actively engage with the material. Simply memorizing terms and
concepts is not an effective way to learn. Students often repeat definitions of new terms over and over
again until they have memorized the definition. Memorizing definitions is not as good as using the
word in a sentence. The same is true for learning new concepts that will be presented in this course.
Repetition of the course material is important, but the repetition must involve thinking about the
meaning of the material and connecting it with information that is already known. This means
generating examples of your own and connecting the material to concepts that you already know.
Forming study groups may be helpful in generating examples and questions. If you follow the steps
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above, then you should be able to learn the course material at a deep level. A good way to test this is to
explain the major concepts in each chapter to another person (i.e., TA, instructor, friend, another
student in the class). If have trouble explaining a concept in your own words then you don’t
understand it, and you must get some help before you take the exam.
ListServ
I have established a ListServ for this class. A ListServ is an email-based discussion group. Once
you are subscribed to the list, you will automatically receive copies of every message that is sent to the
list via E-mail. The ListServ is an opportunity for you to discuss material covered in the course with
other students. It is open to students enrolled in the course, Dr. Colder, and the TAs. Important
announcements will also be posted on the ListServ. You must use your UB email address. If you
haven’t enabled your UB email account then you can contact CIT accounts office (645-3540) or consult
the CIT web page for students (http://www.cit.buffalo.edu/students.html). If you want to use a non-UB
email address, then you can set up a mail forwarding protocol on your UB account to have your mail
forwarded to the non-UB address. You can contact the CIT help desk if you need help in setting up a
mail forwarding protocol (645-3542). Those of you who have registered for the course and who have a
UB-email address have automatically been added to the ListServ. Please see the class web page for
further instructions and rules about using the ListServ.
Notice Regarding Students with Disabilities
If you have a disability (physical or psychological), and require reasonable accommodations to
enable you to participate in this course, such as note takers, readers, or extended time on exams and
assignments, please contact the Office of Disability Services, 25 Capen Hall, 645-2608, and also me
during the first two weeks of class. ODS will provide you with information and review appropriate
arrangements for reasonable accommodations.
Policies Regarding Academic Dishonesty
Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Please review the Undergraduate Handbook for a
description of the university policies and procedures for cases of academic dishonesty. Students
suspected of infringement will first meet with the instructor for an informal review of the situation.
Cases may also be forwarded to the university Judiciary review in accordance with the procedures
outlined in the Student Handbook. Academic dishonesty may be punished by expulsion from the
university.
Class Schedule
Although occasionally we may fall a little behind or ahead in the lecture schedule, you still need to be
prepared for lab as per the schedule below.
Week of 1/13
Labs:
1/17 B1-B2, B5-B6 Review of Problem Set #1 (Research methods, Terms, concepts)
Note: If you are in Lab B7 or B8 you don’t have lab on 1/20 (MLK day), and so you should attend LAB B1-B2
or B5-B6 on 1/17, or Lab B3-B4 on 1/22.
Lecture:
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1/14
1/16
Introduction to Statistics & Research Methods
Math Terms and Concepts
***REVISED 1/21/03
Chapter 1
Week of 1/20
PROBLEM SET #1 DUE 1/21 TO YOUR TA (in lab or to their office) BY 4:15 pm.
Labs:
1/22 B3-B4 Review of Problem Set #1 (Research methods, Terms, concepts)
1/24 B1-B2, B5-B6 Review of Problem Sets #2 & #3 (Frequency Distribution & Central Tendency)
Note: If you are in Lab B7 or B8 you don’t have lab on 1/20 (MLK day), and so you should attend LAB B1-B2
or B5-B6 on 1/17, or Lab B3-B4 on 1/22.
Lecture:
1/21 Frequency Distributions & Graphs
1/23 Central Tendency
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Week of 1/27
PROBLEM SETS #2 & #3 DUE 1/27 TO YOUR TA (in lab or to their office) BY 4:15 pm.
Labs:
1/27 B7-B8 Review of Problem Sets #2 & #3 (Frequency Distribution & Central Tendency)
1/29 B3-B4 Review of Problem Sets #2 & #3 (Frequency Distribution & Central Tendency)
1/31 B1-B2, B5-B6 Review of Problem Set #4 (Variability & Z-scores) & Exam review
Lecture:
1/28 Variability
Chapter 4
1/30 Z-Scores
Chapter 5
Week of 2/3
PROBLEM SET #4 DUE 2/3 TO YOUR TA (in lab or to their office) BY 4:15 pm.
Labs:
2/3 B7-B8 Review of Problem Set #4 (Variability & Z-scores) & Exam review
2/5 B3-B4 Review of Problem Set #4 (Variability & Z-scores) & Exam review
2/7 B1-B2, B5-B6 Review of Problem Set #5 (Probability)
Lecture:
2/4
Probability
Chapter 6
2/6
Exam 1 (covers Chapters 1-4)
Week of 2/10
PROBLEM SET #5 DUE 2/10 TO YOUR TA (in lab or to their office) BY 4:15 pm.
Labs:
2/10 B7-B8 Review of Problem Set #5 (Probability)
2/12 B3-B4 Review of Problem Set #5 (Probability)
2/14 B1-B2, B5-B6 Review of Problem Set #6 (Sampling distributions)
Lecture:
2/11 Probability continued
2/13 Sampling Distributions
Chapter 7
Week of 2/17
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PROBLEM SET #6 DUE 2/17 TO YOUR TA (in lab or to their office) BY 4:15 pm.
Labs:
2/17 B7-B8 Review of Problem Set #6 (Sampling Distributions)
2/19 B3-B4 Review of Problem Set #6 (Sampling Distributions)
2/21 B1-B2, B5-B6 Review of Problem Set #7 (Hypothesis Testing & One Sample Z-test) & Exam
review
Lecture:
2/18 Sampling Distributions continued
2/20 Hypothesis Testing
Chapter 8
Week of 2/24
PROBLEM SET #7 DUE 2/24 TO YOUR TA (in lab or to their office) BY 4:15 pm.
Labs:
2/24 B7-B8 Review of Problem Set #7 (Hypothesis Testing & One Sample Z-test) & Exam review
2/26 B3-B4 Review of Problem Set #7 (Hypothesis Testing & One Sample Z-test) & Exam review
2/28 B1-B2, B5-B6 Review of Problem Set #8 (Intro to t-test)
Lecture:
2/25 Hypothesis Testing continued
Chapter 8
2/27 Introduction to the t-test
Chapter 9
Week of 3/3
PROBLEM SET #8 DUE 3/3 TO YOUR TA (in lab or to their office) BY 4:15 pm.
Labs:
3/3 B7-B8 Review of Problem Set #8 (Intro to t-test)
3/5 B3-B4 Review of Problem Set #8 (Intro to t-test)
3/7 B1-B2, B5-B6 Review of Problem Set #9 (Independent Samples t-test)
Lectures:
3/4
Exam 2 (covers Chapters 5-8)
3/6
Independent Samples t-test
Chapter 10
Week of 3/10
Spring Recess
Week of 3/17
*NO PROBLEM SET DUE THIS WEEK
Labs:
3/17 B7-B8 Review of Problem Set #8 (Independent Samples t-test)
3/19 B3-B4 Review of Problem Set #8 (Independent Samples t-test)
3/21 B1-B2, B5-B6 Review of Problem Set #9 (Point estimation) & Exam Review
Lecture:
3/18 Related samples t-test & review of independent sample t-test
Chapter 11
3/20 Point Estimation
Chapter 12
Week of 3/24
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PROBLEM SET #9 DUE 3/24 TO YOUR TA (in lab or to their office) BY 4:15 pm.
Labs:
3/24 B7-B8 Review of Problem Set #9 (Point estimation & Confidence Intervals) & Exam Review
3/26 B3-B4 Review of Problem Set #9 (Point estimation & Confidence Intervals) & Exam Review
3/28 B1-B2, B5-B6 Review of Problem Set #10 (ANOVA)
Lecture:
3/25 ANOVA
Chapter 13
3/27 Exam 3 (chapters 9-12)
Week of 3/31
PROBLEM SET #10 DUE 3/31 TO YOUR TA (in lab or to their office) BY 4:15 pm.
Labs:
3/31 B7-B8 Review of Problem Set #10 (ANOVA)
4/2 B3-B4 Review of Problem Set #10 (ANOVA)
4/4 B1-B2, B5-B6 Review of Problem Set #11 (2-way ANOVA)
Lecture:
4/1
2-way ANOVA
Chapter 14
4/3
2-way ANOVA continued
Week of 4/7
PROBLEM SET #11 DUE 4/7 TO YOUR TA (in lab or to their office) BY 4:15 pm.
Labs:
4/7 B7-B8 Review of Problem Set #11 (2-way ANOVA)
4/9 B3-B4 Review of Problem Set #11 (2-way ANOVA)
4/11 B1-B2, B5-B6 Review of Problem Set #12 (Correlation/Regression & Chi-Square) & Exam
Review
Lecture:
4/8
Correlation/Regression
Chapter 15
4/10 Chi-Square
Chapter 16
Week of 4/14
PROBLEM SET #12 DUE 4/14 TO YOUR TA (in lab or to their office) BY 4:15 pm.
Labs:
4/14 B7-B8 Review of Problem Set #12 (Correlation/Regression & Chi-Square) & Exam Review
4/16 B3-B4 Review of Problem Set #12 (Correlation/Regression & Chi-Square) & Exam Review
4/18 B1-B2, B5-B6 No Lab
Lecture:
4/15 ANOVA example from the literature
4/17 Correlation/Regression example from the literature
Week of 4/21
Labs:
No LAB
Lecture:
4/22 Exam #4 (Chapters 13-16)
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***REVISED 1/21/03
No Lecture Make-up Exam (see lines 80-86 of your syllabus for make-up exam policy)
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