Sociology 390  ---  Social Statistics I   

          Fall 2007 --- Computing Commons Room CC 205 --- Wednesday 4:40-7:30

 

Instructor/T.A.

Office

Office Hours

Phone

E-mail

Stephen Kulis

Cowden 224G

Wednesday 7:30-8:30

602-496-0700

kulis@asu.edu

Nels Paulson

Cowden 206

Monday 3:00-4:00

Wednesday 3:20-4:20

 

nels@asu.edu

 

This three credit-hour course is an introduction to descriptive and inferential statistics that satisfies the General Studies ‘CS’ (computer/statistics/quantitative applications) requirement.. It prepares you to perform and interpret fundamental statistical analysis in social science research: data description, cross-tabulation, t-tests, correlation and regression, and analysis of variance. Classes combine lectures, demonstrations, and problem solving exercises. 

 

 

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Pre-Requisites

Introductory Sociology (SOC101 or SOC301).  Students unfamiliar with basic algebra (see the self-diagnostic quiz below) should complete college algebra before attempting this class.

Required

Books:

Frankfort-Nachmias & Leon-Guerrero, Social Statistics for a Diverse Society 4rd ed. with SPSS

Warning: the SPSS software in used books and older editions may be unusable in this course.

Requirements:

!   Regular homework based on computer and pencil/ paper exercises.

!   Three non-cumulative tests: September 19, October 24, & December 12

!   Bring your textbook to every class session.

Exams:

!   Exam test your understanding of key terms and methods, their application to solving particular problems, and your ability to complete and interpret statistical calculations

!   You may bring one 8.5" by 11" sheet of notes and a calculator to these exams.

Grading:

!   Each exam will be scored on 100 possible points: the first exam contributes 20% toward the final grade; the second exam contributes 25%; the final exam contributes 30%

!  Homework (90 assigned problems, 10 points each) contributes 25% toward the final grade.  The 10 problems with the lowest scores will be dropped before calculating the total homework score (800 possible points)

! Grades will be assigned based on the final percentage of total points earned: 90-100%=A, 80-89%=B, 70-79%=C, 60-69%=D, less than 60%=E.  Plus/minus additions to letter grades will not be calculated or assigned.

Attendance:

Attendance at all class sessions is strongly advised. If absent, you remain responsible for all assignments, hand-outs or announcements made in class. We recommend that you swap phone numbers or email addresses with a member of the class to be able to consult each other if you miss class unexpectedly or have problems completing homework assignments.

Missed Tests:

Students who miss tests for medical or grave emergencies should present official documentation (e.g., physician's note) verifying their inability to attend on the scheduled test day and time.

Computing

With SPSS:

Your text contains SPSS, a statistical software package that will allow you to analyze social science data sets.  Using the CD-ROM in your text, you can use SPSS on a home IBM-compatible PC, or at any ASU computing site. 

Blackboard

Important class information, including practice tests, homework tips, and homework answers, are on the class Blackboard site, which enrolled students can access through http://my.asu.edu .

Getting Help:

A key to success in the course is not to let yourself fall behind. For help, see the instructor or teaching assistant during office hours. The University Learning Resource Center provides free tutoring (see www.asu.edu/studentaffairs/lrc/ for locations and hours). Study with another student in the class.  Check the textbook website with review material and quizzes on each chapter (http://www.pineforge.com/frankfort-nachmiasstudy/). As a last resort, we can help direct you to competent private tutors

Accommo-

dations:

If you need disability accommodations or will miss class or an exam on a religious holiday, see the instructor at the start of the semester.  Such information is confidential. 

Academic Integrity:

Cheating on tests or homework is a serious offense. Penalties can include a course grade of XE (failure for academic dishonesty), suspension, or expulsion from the university. See relevant University policies at http://www.asu.edu/studentaffairs/studentlife/judicial/academic_integrity.htm .

Classroom Conduct:

Cell phones and pagers must be turned off during class sessions.  Students are expected to abide by the university student code of conduct ( http://www.asu.edu/aad/manuals/sta/sta104-01.html .

 

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Calendar of Topics (Textbook chapter covered)

August 22: Introduction to statistics in the social sciences; frequency distributions (Ch. 1, 2)

August 29: Graphical presentations of distributions (Ch. 3)

September 5: Descriptive statistics: measures of central tendency (Ch. 4)

September 12: Descriptive statistics: measures of variability (Ch. 5)

September 19: First exam on Chapters 1-5; Introduction to normal distributions (Ch. 9)

September 26: Sampling distributions and the Central Limit Theorem (Ch. 10)

October 3: Estimation of confidence intervals (Ch. 11)

October 10: Logic of classical hypothesis testing involving means(Ch. 12)

October 17: Hypothesis testing involving proportions (Ch. 12)

October 24: Second exam on Chapters 9-12; Constructing and analyzing crosstabs (Ch. 6)

October 31: Chi-square tests of relationships in crosstabs (Ch. 13)

November 7: Measures of association for crosstabs (Ch. 7)

November 14: Regression (Ch. 8)

November 21: Correlation (Ch. 8)

November 28: Analysis of variance (Ch. 14)

December 12: Third exam on Chapters 6, 7, 8, 13, 14

 

Homework:

!   Required homework exercises are listed below, with due dates. 

!   Homework is collected at the beginning of class on due dates. After answer keys have been distributed or posted it cannot be accepted for credit.

!   Homework can be turned in before it is due in class to the receptionist in the School of Social and Family Dynamics (Social Sciences building, 1st floor).  Make sure it is clearly addressed to Professor Kulis.

!   Homework will not be accepted as attachments to email.

!   Turn in the original copies of your pencil and paper answers and your SPSS printouts.

 

Guidelines and hints for assigned homework problems:

!   Make it easy to follow the sequence of problems and logic of your solutions.

!   Read the prior problems for hints about how to do the problems that follow.

!   Print neatly; don’t write in cursive.  

!   Do only assigned problems; turn in only SPSS printouts for problems marked above with an asterisk.

!   Clearly label each attached printout with a problem number.

!   Staple pages in proper ascending order.

!   Don’t scribble all over. Neatly transfer calculations you know are correct.

!   Don’t wait until the night before: you may have computer/printer problems.

!   Retain a zerox copy of the homework that you turn in, especially close to test dates.

 

Grading of each problem:

Perfectly executed=10;  Minor mistake(s)=9;  Major mistake(s)=8; Complete attempt, wrong approach=7;

Incomplete attempt, wrong approach=6;  No attempt=0

Assigned Homework Problems:

 

 

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Chapter

SPSS Problems

Chapter Exercises (paper & pencil).

Due in Class on:

1

Top of p. 25*

from p. 25: #2, 4, 6, 8, 10

September 5

2

1*, 3*

4, 6, 8, 12

September 5

3

1*, 2*, 4 (defend your choices)

2, 4, 10, 12

September 5

4

3*, 4*, 5*

2, 4, 6, 8

September 12

5

1*, 2*, 3*, 4*

2, 4, 6, 8, 9 (show calculations for #9), 10

September 19

9

1*, 2*

4, 8, 10, 14

October 3 

10

first

2, 4, 6, 8, 10

October 3

11

1*, 2*

4, 6, 8, 12

October 10

12

2*, 4*

2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14

October 24

6

1*, 3*

2, 4, 8, 10, 14 (explain/defend your rationale for #14)

November 7

13

1*, 3*

4, 6, 8, 10

November 7

7

1*, 3*

2, 4, 6, 8, 12 (defend the measure you selected in 8 & 12),

November 14

8

1*, 4*

2, 4, 6, 10, 12

November 28

 

*Note: these items require that you attach your original SPSS printouts, not copies.

 

SOC390 S. Kulis

 

How to Use SPSS at Home

You will need an IBM-compatible PC, CD-ROM, Windows ME, 98, 2000 or XP with a CD-ROM and 200 MB of available space. 

C    Put the CD from your new textbook into your computer’s CD reader. A window should pop up with a “SPSS Student Version 13.0” menu.  Click on and read the “Installation Instructions” and then click on “Install SPSS 13.0 Student Version” to install the program on your computer.  If a menu does not pop up, double click on the “My Computer” icon, and then double click on the computer’s CD-ROM drive (it will say “SPSS” (D) or (E) or some other drive letter), and double click on “Setup.exe”.

C   For SPSS homework problems you will be instructed to select a dataset such as the General Social Survey (GSS02PFP-A, GSS02PFP-B), which is a large survey of United States adults, or a cross-national dataset (ISP00PFP) that compares social indicators from countries across the globe. To access the data, start SPSS using the Start button and program files option.  Once in SPSS, click on FileàOpenà from the menu bar and select the dataset you need.  If the right dataset does not appear immediately on a list, use the upturning arrow on the top task bar to access the datasets on the CD.  The datasets are hidden in a subdirectory of the CD that should be at D:\xcontent\assets or E:\xcontent\assets. 

 

How to Use the Network Version of SPSS at ASU Computing Sites

These procedures are primarily to invoke the full version of SPSS, not the student version on your CD.

C      Always bring the CD-ROM that comes with your text–you need it to access the proper data files.  Alternately, copy the SPSS datasets on your CD from the subdirectory “D:\xcontent\assets” (they are called GSS02PFP-A.sav, GSS02PFP-B.sav, GSS2002PFP.sav, ISP00PFP.sav) to a jump drive.

C      Make sure you have an IBM compatible (PC) computer, not a MAC.  If the computer doesn’t appear to be on, move the mouse or hit a key.  If you cannot proceed, you may have to restart the computer by clicking the “START” button at the lower left, and selecting the restart option.

C      Wait to be prompted for your ASURITE ID and PASSWORD, and press ENTER. Wait for Windows icons to appear on the left side of the screen.  Note the location of the printer you will be using.

C      Click START on the lower left, select the “All Programs” menu, then select SPSS for Windows.

C       You may be prompted initially to identify the account you are using to run the SPSS program.  If so, choose the first option where you do not need administrative approval.  If nothing like this pops up, ignore and continue on to the next step.

C      For SPSS homework problems you have to select a dataset (GSS02PFP-A, GSS02PFP-A, ISP00PFP).  To access any of the data, click on FileàOpenà from the SPSS menu bar (so SPSS should already be open for you with no data at this point), then use the upturning arrow on top task bar to access datasets on the CD (in D:\xcontent\assets) or on your jump drive.  Select the appropriate dataset.

C    BEFORE YOU LEAVE, RETRIEVE YOUR CD-ROM or JUMP DRIVE!

 

May We Suggest Strongly...

C    Make a back-up copy of your SPSS CD-ROM, using a CD Read/Write drive. CDs can be damaged permanently, and copying your original to a blank CD will cost pennies.  Lost or damaged CD problems are not acceptable as an excuse for failing to having your homework ready on due dates.

C    If using ASU computing sites, do your work well in advance of due dates, and anticipate waiting to use computers at busy times (e.g., Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.).

C    If you are stumped on homework problems, check out occasional tips posted on the course Blackboard site.  Also, study the adjacent odd-numbered problems for which there are answers in the book.

C  Visit the Teaching Assistant or instructor during office hours if you have any problems.  You are not bothering them, and no question or problem is too simple, or “too dumb” to ask about.

C    We are using a well proofed text, but errors in formulas, answer keys, or typos sometimes escape notice.    If you encounter anything that seems inconsistent or that you suspect is wrong, please email the instructor (kulis@asu.edu) so we can inform the whole class.  Thanks.

Sociology 390: Social Statistics I

Self Diagnostic Mathematics and Algebra Review

 

Solve the following problems and use them to evaluate your math and algebra proficiency. 

 

Evaluate:

 

(1)  1/2 - 2/3 =                                                                      (2)  1/8 + 1/3 =

 

(3)  2/5  =                                                                             (4)  (20/25)(6/25) =

      1/5

 

Express the following fractions as decimals, rounding to the specified number of decimal places.

 

(5)  2/3, 3 places                                                                   (6)  4/9, 4 places

 

(7)  3/8, 2 places                                                                   (8)  7/8, 3 places

 

What percent is:

 

(9)  20 of 40?                                                                        (10)  60 of 25?

 

(11)  30 of 75?                                                                      (12)  20 of 80?

 

Find the following:

 

(13)  |-2|                                                                               (14)  61/2

 

(15)  |4|                                                                                 (16)  (-3)2

 

True or false?

 

(17)  6 < 8                                                                            (18)  -2 < -4

 

(19)  6 < -6                                                                           (20) (20 + 6) > (100 - 90)

 

Solve for x:

 

(21)  3x - 8 = (2x + 3)/2                                                         (22)  (2x - 17)/2 = 6 - x

 

(23)  20 = (x-60)/6                                                                (24)  x = 6(x - 2)

 

ANSWERS:

(1) =3/6 - 4/6 = -1/6 or -.167        (7)  .38               (13)  2 (absolute value)       (19)  false

(2) =3/24 + 8/24 =11/24 or .45     (8)  .875             (14)  2.449 (square root)     (20)  true (26 > 10)

(3) =(2/5)(2) = 2                         (9)  50%             (15)  4                               (21)  x = 19/4 or 4.75

(4) =120/625 = 24/125 or .192     (10)  240%         (16)  9                               (22)  x = 29/4 or 7.25

(5)  .667                                     (11)  40%           (17)  true                           (23)  x = 180

(6)  .4444                                   (12)  25%           (18)  false                          (24)  x = 12/5 or 2.4

 

How did you do?  

$ If you can solve them all correctly, you have the requisite math and algebra skills for SOC390.

$ If you once knew how to solve these see the math review in the appendices of your text, and practice to refresh your memory:

$ If you never learned how to solve these problems you are not prepared to undertake SOC390. See the instructor if you are uncertain what to do.