Syllabus
Syllabus
This syllabus lays out the organization, goals, and requirements for this course. This syllabus represents our
"contract" or commitment to one another. Your continued enrollment in this course will serve as evidence of your
agreement to this contract. You must have completed and passed MATH 92, 860, or demonstrated MATH 860 exit
skills (2nd year high school algebra). This course is not open to students who have completed a course in statistics.
Verification of these prerequisites will be required. Because of the writing involved in the course, it is advised that
you have completed ENGLISH 92 or ESL 82 or ESL 160.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Primarily for prospective majors and related majors. Introduction to research design, measurement, descriptive statistics (including
correlation and regression), probability, sampling theory, confidence intervals, and hypothesis testing. Pass/No Pass available.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
Statistics are part of our daily lives. Everywhere we look people are making claims about something based on statistical
calculations. How long does it take you to get home from campus? What is the probability that you will die from cancer? Will you
win the lottery? Does aspirin reduce my risk for heart attacks? The answer to all these questions is based on statistics. We use
statistics on a daily basis to describe events, predict future events, and make probability estimates.
This course will focus on the application, theories, and computational methods that are basic to statistics. This course will cover
many helpful principles that may be applied to improving your critical thinking skills and understanding the logic underlying
statistical thinking, designing, and interpreting scientific research.
My hope is to promote a feeling of comfort and self-confidence about you as a person who can apply basic statistical concepts. Upon
completion of this course the student will be able to do the following:
A. Calculate and explain descriptive and inferential concepts, in verbal or written format.
B. Assess when a statistical analysis is appropriate and discuss the limitations.
C. Solve data analysis problems, by hand with a calculator or through the use of computer, and explain the results in either written
or verbal form.
D. Critically analyze the strengths and weaknesses of research findings.
E. Analyze and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of hypothesis testing.
F. Apply statistical analysis within a small-scale research project and write up results or present results.
TEXT
We will be using one main text: Essentials of Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences with Study Guide by Fredrick J. Gravetter
and Larry B. Wallnau (Wadsworth, 7th Edition). The study guide is a useful tool for additional problems, easier explanations, and
practice multiple choice questions. There will be occasional supplemental readings that I will put on reserve in the library (under my
name and the course title). These materials are there to aid your comprehension of the materials presented in the lecture. It is
expected that students will read the chapter(s) and readings assigned for that week prior to class, and come prepared
for discussion.
GRADES
Grades for this course will be based on 3 exams (25% each exam x 3 = 75% of final grade), homework (10% of final grade), and a
final project (15% of final grade). The following are the percentages for your final grade: A = 90%-100%, B = 80%-89%, C = 70%-
79%, D = 60%-69%, F = 59% and below. If you decide to take the course pass/no pass you must achieve a final grade of 70% or
higher to earn credit.
EXAMS
There will be three exams that will consist of multiple choice, short answer, and computational questions. Prior to the exams we will
have a review. You will need a #2 pencil, and a calculator for the exams. If you have testing accommodations with CCSF’s DSPS
office please inform me immediately. On exam days, immediately following the exam, I typically have a brief lecture on the next
topic. No whining!!!
There will be no make-up exams. If you have a true1 emergency, you will be given a make-up exam. If you do not have a "true"
emergency, you will receive no credit for that exam. If you must miss an exam, call my office or e-mail me on or before the exam
day to let me know that you will be absent. Do not come back to class until you have either made up the exam or spoken
to me about it.
All exams are "closed book and closed note" unless announced otherwise. I will provide you with all the necessary formulas you will
need to know for that particular exam. I hate to mention this, but if you cheat in this class, you will fail this course and I will refer
your name to the administration. Put simply, don't cheat!
HOMEWORK
There are three homework assignments and due dates are listed . Please pay attention to the items I occasionally add and subtract
from the homework assignment. In general, you must clearly display all the computational work (including formulas) and
use your own words in order to receive credit, and STAPLE EVERYTHING!!!. Do not merely copy the answers from the book
or you will earn no credit on the homework. Please note, no late homework (i.e., handed in after the class in which it was due) will
be accepted for credit, although you should hand in late homework regardless so that I may give you feedback. Homework problems
are very similar to the types of questions asked on exams. Get the hint!!! Homework is important!!!
FINAL PROJECT
To prepare you for your future careers in the behavioral sciences, you will conduct a research project where we collect data, analyze
it, and report on what you find. The goal is to give you written practice of how psychologists collect and report data. You will submit
a report in APA style (don't worry, I will go over format issues in detail). Further details about the report will be given in class.
1 "true" emergencies are either (a) death in the family or (b) serious illness. In either case, documentation is required.
PSYC 5 SCHEDULE OF READINGS, EXAMINATIONS, ASSIGNMENTS
Topics and readings are presented below on an approximate daily schedule. Please start your reading early. I recognize the fact that this is an
ambitious array of topics, but the schedule of readings and examinations is flexible and subject to change depending on the progress
of the class.