Datasets
Guided Sample Dataset: Statistics Anxiety
Afrobarometer. (2016). Merged data.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2016). Behavioral risk factor surveillance system.
Institute of Education Sciences (IES)/National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). (2009). High school longitudinal study of 2009 (HSLS:09). Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/hsls09/
NORC at the University of Chicago. (n.d.). General social survey (GSS).
Assignment 1: Moderation in SPSS
Earlier this week, you practiced testing for moderation and, ideally, used the Collaboration Lab to ask, answer, and otherwise address any questions you had regarding moderation. In this Assignment, you apply what you learned to answer a social research question using multiple regression, including testing for possible moderation. Remember that you must still address all the assumptions for multiple regression.
To prepare
- Review the datasets provided above.
- Construct a research question based on one of those datasets.
The Assignment
Based on the research question you created, complete the following tasks:
- Fit multiple regression models, using two or more independent variables. Think about whether or not the model will meet assumptions.
- Fit the model, testing for moderation between two key variables.
- Analyze the output, determining whether moderation was significant and how to interpret that result.
- Reflect on possible implications of social change.
Write a 1- to 2-paragraph analysis in APA format that includes your data output and addresses each of the tasks listed above.
Assignment 2: Article Critique
Many weeks in this course follow a similar pattern. You begin the week by studying a statistical test. Next, you complete Assignment 1, applying that test using datasets that are provided in the context of a research question that you pose. As you master the skills related to the test, including how to run the test in SPSS, you engage with your peers in the Collaboration Lab. The final activity in most weeks, including this week, is an Article Critique, in which you search the Walden Library for research that applies the test you studied that week.
The practice of quantitative research not only involves statistical calculations and formulas but also involves the understanding of statistical techniques related to real-world applications. You might not become a quantitative researcher nor use statistical methods in your profession but as a consumer, citizen, and scholar-practitioner, it will be important for you to become a critical consumer of research, which will empower you to read, interpret, and evaluate the strength of claims made in scholarly material and daily news.
For this Assignment, you will critically evaluate a scholarly article related to MODERATION.
To prepare
- Review the Article Critique Assignment Guide in the Walden Library, listed in this week’s Learning Resources.
- Search the Walden Library for a quantitative article that applies moderation testing.
The Assignment
Write a 2- to a 3-page critique of the research you found in the Walden Library that includes responses to the following prompts:
- Why did the authors use moderation in their multiple regression models?
- Do you think moderation is the most appropriate choice? Why or why not?
- Did the authors display the results in a figure or table?
- Does the results table stand alone? In other words, are you able to interpret the study from it? Why or why not?
