QUESTIONS
Create an MS Word document by cutting and pasting SPSS output into the document. Please read the instructions below to ensure you are pasting the correct material into your document.
Complete the following:
Part A
In this part, we determine whether participation in a creative writing course results in increased scores of a creativity assessment. For Section A, you will be using the data file "Activity 4a.sav". In this file, "Participant" is the numeric student identifier, "CreativityPre" contains creativity pre-test scores, and "CreativityPost" contains creativity post-test scores. A total of 40 students completed the pre-test, took the creativity course, and then took the post-test.
Exploratory Data Analysis/Hypotheses.
Perform exploratory data analysis on CreativityPre and CreativityPost. Using SPSS, calculate the mean and standard deviation of these two variables.
Construct an appropriate chart/graph that displays the relevant information for these two variables.
Write the null and alternative hypotheses used to test the question above (e.g., whether participation in the course affects writing scores).
Comparison of Means
Perform a dependent t test to assess your hypotheses above (note that many versions of SPSS use the term "paired samples t test" rather than dependent t test; the test itself is the same.
Write one or two paragraphs that describe the dataset, gives your hypothesis, and presents the results of the dependent sample t test. Be sure that your writing conforms to APA style.
Part B
In Part B, we will start with the data file used in Section A ("Activity 4a.sav"). Suppose, however, you [the researcher] encountered a small problem during data collection: after the post-tests were collected, you realized that the post-test form did not ask for the students' identification number. As such, it will be impossible to match pre-test scores to post-test scores. Rather than simply give up, you start thinking about the data you do have, and try to determine whether you can salvage your project. In assessing the situation, you realize that you have 40 pre-test scores and 40 post-test scores, but no way to link them. While it will result in a weaker comparison, you determine that you are still able to compare pre-test vs. post-test scores; you will use a between-subjects design rather than a within-subjects design.
Create the data set.
Using the "Activity 4a.sav" file as a starting point, create a new dataset that you can use with the between subjects design. Hint: you will no longer need the variables CreativePre and CreativeTest. Instead, you have only one variable for the score on the creativity test. A second (or grouping) variable will serve to indicate which test the student took.
Submit the dataset as one of the assignment files. Name the file in the following format: lastnamefirstinitialEDU8006-4a.sav (example: smithbEDU8006-4a.sav).
Exploratory Data Analysis/Hypotheses.
Perform exploratory data analysis on CreativityPre and CreativityPost. Using SPSS, calculate the mean and standard deviation of these two variables.
Construct an appropriate chart/graph that displays the relevant information for these two variables.
Write the null and alternative hypotheses used to test the question above (e.g., whether participation in the course affects writing scores).
Comparison of Means
Perform an independent t test to assess your hypotheses above (note that many versions of SPSS use the term "independent samples t test" rather than simply "independent t test".
Write one or two paragraphs that describe the dataset, give your hypothesis, and present the results of the independent sample t test. Be sure that your writing conforms to APA style.
Comparison of Designs
Use the same dataset to analyze both a between- and within-subjects design. Create a single paragraph (using the material you wrote above), that presents both sets of results.
Explain, in 300-500 words, whether the two tests resulted in the same findings. Did you expect this to be the case? Why or why not? What have you learned in this section?