Assignment:
Tests of Significance
Throughout this assignment you will review six mock studies. Follow the step-by-step instructions:
a. Mock Studies 1 - 3 require you to enter data from scratch. You need to create a data set for each of the three mock studies by yourself. (Refresh the data entry skill acquired.)
b. Mock Studies 4 - 6 require you to use the GSS 2016 dataset. The variables are specified in each Mock Study.
c. Go through the five steps of hypothesis testing (as covered in the lesson) for EVERY mock study.
d. All calculations should be coming from your SPSS. You will need to submit the SPSS output file (.spv) to get credit for this assignment.
The five steps of hypothesis testing when using SPSS are as follows:
1. State your research hypothesis (H1) and null hypothesis (H0).
2. Identify your significance level (alpha) at .05 or .01, based on the mock study. In Mock Study One, you are required to use BOTH .05 and .01 to test your hypotheses. For the remaining mock studies, you only need to use ONE level of significance (either .05 or .01) as specified in the instructions.
3. Conduct your analysis using SPSS.
4. Look for the valid score for comparison. This score is usually under ‘Sig 2-tail' or ‘Sig. 2' or ‘Asymptotic Sig.' We will call this "p."
5. Compare the two and apply the following rule:
a. If "p" is < or = alpha, then you reject the null.
b. Please explain what this decision means in regards to this mock study. (Ex: Will you recommend counseling services?)
Please make sure your answers are clearly distinguishable. Perhaps you could bold your font or use a different color.
1. Topic/Research Question
The proposed topic would be "Relationship between stress and job satisfaction", using data on Employment/Labor/Class. The research question would be, "Is there a correlation between stress and job satisfaction?"
2. Variables
a. Variable names
Two variables would be required to answer the research question.
Independent variable: stress
Dependent variable: job satisfaction
b. Variable names
The specific research question related the independent variable (stress) asked in the survey is, "how often do you find work stressful?"
The research question related to the dependent variable (job satisfaction) is, "How satisfied are you with your job?"
The variable name for "job satisfaction." Is it "satjobhv
3. Justification of Variables
The variable "Stress" represents an important factor in workplace practices, which in can lead to adverse physical and emotional effects.
The concept of "stress" in the context of workplaces occurs when an employee cannot meet job needs or conditions. This variable is chosen because it has direct effect not only on job performance, but also on motivation and satisfaction. It also provides a quantitative approach to measuring stress in workplace.
The variable "Job Satisfaction" is chosen because it represents one of the most important factors that influence a person's beliefs and attitudes. Both variables have cognitive and behavioral aspects.
4. Correlation/Relationship
Since the variables "Stress" and "Job Satisfaction" have cognitive and behavioral aspects, one would expect a relationship between these factors in a given context. In the case of a workplace, one would expect job stress to how employees feel about the work. This argument is consistent with literature, which shows nexus between job stress and satisfaction (Bemana et al., 2013). Organizational factors such as work conditions and workload affect job satisfaction negatively. Lack of satisfaction can cause stress, but high job satisfaction can reduce the impact of stress. This suggests strong correlation of job stress and satisfaction.
References
Bemana, S., Moradi, H., Ghasemi, M., Mehdi, S., &Ghayoor, A H. (2013). The relationship among job satisfaction and job stress in municipality personnel in Iran. World Applied Sciences Journal, 22(2), 233-238.