PSYC 3101 Statistics and Research Methods in Psychology
About the Course
The stated purpose of this course is to inform you about statistics and research methods in the social sciences. The broader goal is to give you the tools to understand and evaluate statistical information in aspects of your everyday life. This course will provide you with an awareness that is not readily available to people with no knowledge of basic statistical concepts. By the end of the course (and hopefully well before!) the potential impact of this advantage will be very clear.
Objectives/Outline
For the most part we will be discussing statistics in relation to research questions typical of the social sciences. These include broad issues, such as the possible correlation between income and political preferences, and more technical problems, such as the effect(s) of a particular drug on learning and memory. The principles and procedures discussed in this course will help you to evaluate scientific reports as well as to plan for and conduct your own experiments and statistical analyses.
Grade Breakdown
- Unit Homework (10 @ 100 = 1000 points)
- Exam 1 = 400 points
- Exam 2 = 400 points
- Final Exam = 400 points
- Total Possible Points = 2200 points
Required Text
- Gravetter, Frederick J. and Wallnau, Larry B. Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences, 9th Edition. St. Paul, MN: West Publishing Company, 2012. (This syllabus and course corresponds with the ninth edition of the text only. You cannot use earlier editions of this book because they are not compatible with the course material. Additionally, you must purchase this text directly from the CU bookstore because it comes bundled with access to a publisher’s website used for practice quizzes and additional instructional material. You will need the “bundle” with ISBN 978-1133-54071-7.
- Huff, Darrell. How to Lie with Statistics, 34th printing, New York: W.W. Norton and Company, Inc., 1954 (re-issued 1993). ISBN #0393310728 (Any printing or edition will work, they are all the same.)
Instructor Contact
Email: howard.bashinski@colorado.edu
Please put “PSY3101” somewhere in the subject line, and include your email address in the body of the message.
Howard Bashinski is from Orlando, FL and currently live outside of Steamboat Springs. CO. He has been teaching psychology, statistics, and research methods online for over 15 years. Dr. Bashinski holds a Ph.D. from the University of Colorado (1982) and did his undergraduate work at Georgia Tech and the University of Nebraska. He spends much of his spare time directing for local community and professional theatre organizations. Dr. Bashinski enjoys classic rock and a good steak!