1. Introduction to Statistics for the Social Sciences SBS200 - Lecture Section 001, Spring 2018 Room 150 Harvill Building 9:00 - 9:50 Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays.
Welcome

2. Lab sessions No Class on Monday No Labs next week
Everyone will want to be enrolled
in one of the lab sessions
No Class on Monday
No Labs
next week

3. In nearly every class we will use clickers to
answer questions in class and participate in
interactive class demonstrations
Remember bring your
writing assignment forms
notebook and clickers to each lecture ..

4. Schedule of readings Before next exam (February 9)
Please read chapters in OpenStax textbook
Please read Appendix D, E & F online On syllabus this is referred to as online readings 1, 2 & 3
Please read Chapters 1, 5, 6 and 13 in Plous
Chapter 1: Selective Perception
Chapter 5: Plasticity
Chapter 6: Effects of Question Wording and Framing
Chapter 13: Anchoring and Adjustment

5. Start by reading Online supplemental reading 1 (Appendix D)
Please read Chapters 1 & 2

7. Homework Assignment 1 due Wednesday, January 17 Go to D2L - Click on “Content”
Click on “Interactive Online Homework Assignments”
Complete the first three modules:
Levels of Measurement
Discrete vs Continuous Variables and
Independent and Dependent Variables

9. By the end of lecture today 1/12/18
Use this as your
study guide
By the end of lecture today 1/12/18
Constructs versus measurement
Operational definitions
Validity of operational definitions Reliability of measurements
Independent and dependent variables

10. Announcements What to call me? Dr. Delaney Suzanne
Any combination of the above
When e.mailing be sure to include all previous
e.mail messages 2

11. Conducting analyses that are relevant and useful starts with measurement designed to decrease uncertainty
“Anything can be measured. If a thing can be observed in any way at all, it lends itself to some type of measurement method. No matter how “fuzzy” the measurement is, it’s still a measurement if it tells you more than you knew before.”
Douglas Hubbard
Author “How to Measure Anything: Finding the value of “Intangibles” in Business”

12. “A problem well stated is a problem half solved”
“Anything can be measured. If a thing can be observed in any way at all, it lends itself to some type of measurement method. No matter how “fuzzy” the measurement is, it’s still a measurement if it tells you more than you knew before.”
Douglas Hubbard
Author “How to Measure Anything: Finding the value of “Intangibles” in Business”
“A problem well stated is a problem half solved”
Charles Kettering (1876 – 1958),
American inventor, holder of 300 patents, including electrical ignition for automobiles
How do we measure the following constructs
– define first then we can figure how to measure them?
Effectiveness of recycling policy
Number of fish in the ocean
Improved word of mouth advertising
Value of a happy marriage
Value of a human life
Public image
Role of humor in career advancement
“It is better to be approximately right, than to be precisely wrong.”
- Warren Buffett
Examples given by Hubbard
Measurements don’t have to be precise to be useful

13. “A problem well stated is a problem half solved”
Charles Kettering (1876 – 1958),
American inventor, holder of 300 patents, including electrical ignition for automobiles
An operational definition: definition of a construct
or characteristic in terms of how it is measured
specifically for a particular context
How do we measure the following constructs
– define first then we can figure how to measure them?
Effectiveness of recycling policy
Number of fish in the ocean
Improved word of mouth advertising
Value of a happy marriage
Value of a human life
Public image
Role of humor in career advancement

14. “Constructs” represent relatively abstract concepts.
“Operational definitions” define how constructs are measured. “Measurements” assess observable characteristics or
behaviors resulting in a reduction of uncertainty.
Data analyses try to describe, predict and explain measurements of behaviors (or characteristics).
Examples of measurements:
Examples of constructs:
humor (how funny a commercial is)
laughter/smiles
recall test of name of brand
memorable (memory for brand name)
status of product
(BMW, Maserati, Cadillac, VW)
rating on scale
???
being in love

15. How do we measure mental processes?
Do people “in love” stay together longer?
Mental process = Love, or being in love
How would we define “in love” terms of observable behaviors?
How about “happiness”?

16. How do we measure mental processes?
Are people more likely to stop at a stop sign if a police officer is present?
Defining our measurements
How would we define “stop” terms of observable behaviors?
How would we define “police officer is present”
versus “police officer not present” in terms of observable behaviors?
Defining the groups we are comparing

17. humor (how funny a commercial is)
“Constructs” represent relatively abstract concepts.
“Operational definitions” define how constructs are measured. “Measurements” assess observable characteristics or
behaviors resulting in a reduction of uncertainty.
Number of smiles detected during the 90 seconds spot
humor (how funny a commercial is)
Number of people who correctly recalled brand name after the 90 seconds spot
memorable (memory for brand name)
Ratings from 1 – 10 “how cool is this car?”
status of product (BMW, versus Maserati etc)
Size of a person’s big toe…big toed person would be verrry musical!!
musicality

18. Evaluating Operational Definitions: Validity and Reliability
Validity: the extent to which a test measures what it
intends to measure
Reliability: the extent to which a test yields consistent results

19. Validity and Reliability
Validity: the extent to which a your
assessment actually measures what
it intends to measure
Bungy ruler
Reliability: the extent to which an
assessment yields consistent results
Homemade ruler
Proper ruler

20. Validity and Reliability
High or Low Reliability?
High or Low validity?
Validity: the extent to which a your
assessment actually measures what
it intends to measure
Bungy ruler
Reliability: the extent to which an
assessment yields consistent results
Homemade ruler
High or Low Reliability?
High or Low validity?
Proper ruler
High or Low Reliability?
High or Low validity?

21. Let’s revisit validity and reliability:
Low Validity
High Validity
Low reliability
High reliability
Let’s revisit validity and reliability:
Remember, reliability is a measure
of consistency (or precision) of measurement
Validity is a measure of the meaning of the scores
Bungee
ruler
High or Low validity?
High or Low Reliability?
Homemade ruler
Proper ruler
High or Low validity?
High or Low Reliability?
High or Low validity?
High or Low Reliability?

22. Let’s revisit validity and reliability:
Low Validity
High Validity
Low reliability
High reliability .
Let’s revisit validity and reliability:
Remember, reliability is a measure
of consistency (or precision) of measurement
(how consistent the shot is)
Validity is a measure of the meaning of the scores (is the shot aimed in the best direction)

23. Let’s revisit validity and reliability:
Low Validity
High Validity
Low reliability
High reliability .
Let’s revisit validity and reliability:
Remember, reliability is a measure
of consistency (or precision) of measurement
(how consistent the shot is)
Validity is a measure of the meaning of the scores (is the shot aimed in the best direction)

24. Let’s revisit validity and reliability:
Low Validity
High Validity
Low reliability
High reliability .
Let’s revisit validity and reliability:
Remember, reliability is a measure
of consistency (or precision) of measurement
(how consistent the shot is)
Validity is a measure of the meaning of the scores (aimed in the best direction)

25. Let’s revisit validity and reliability:
Low Validity
High Validity
Low reliability
High reliability .
Let’s revisit validity and reliability:
Remember, reliability is a measure
of consistency (or precision) of measurement
(how consistent the shot is)
Validity is a measure of the meaning of the scores (aimed in the best direction)

26. Let’s revisit validity and reliability:
Remember, reliability is a measure
of consistency (or precision) of measurement
(how consistent the shot is)
Validity is a measure of the meaning of the scores (is the shot aimed in the best direction)
Low Validity
High Validity
Low reliability
High reliability

27. Operational definitions, constructs, validity and reliability
When evaluating a measurement (operational definition) there
may be a tension between the reliability and validity of the measurement
humor (how funny a commercial is)
status of product
(BMW, Maserati, Cadillac, VW)
memorable (memory for brand name)
Brand loyalty
Also watch for the connection between the conclusions
about the constructs – and limitations from the operational
definition
Newsweek Magazine:
The Nation’s Top High Schools

28. Funny?!? I know funny!! ANIMALS!!
Operational definition: how you define a concept in terms of
how you will measure it
What makes a funny commercial??
Funny?!? I know funny!! ANIMALS!!
humor
Animals are funny – put animals in your commercial !

29. Operational definition
We now have a question: Do animals in a commercial make it funnier?
Compare commercial with an animal with one without an animal…
Two
groups
On a scale from
1 – 10 how funny
is the commercial?
Operational definition
“funny” = rating score

30. Two parts to any study: independent vs dependent variable
We now have a question:
Do animals in a commercial make it funnier?
Two parts to any study: independent vs dependent variable
Dependent variable: The variable being measured by investigator.
The data that is being recorded.
What are you measuring
Independent variable: The factor that is being manipulated
(or compared) by the experimenter.
How do your groups differ

31. How do your groups differ
Dependent variable: The variable being measured by investigator.
The data that is being recorded.
Independent variable: The factor that is being manipulated by the
experimenter, (how the two comparison groups differ).
Are commercials with animals funnier than commercials without animals? Please rate these commercials (some have animals, some don’t)
What are you measuring
What is the dependent variable?
The rating of the commercials (from 1 – 10)
What is the independent variable?
Whether or not there is an
animal in the commercial
How do your groups differ

33. What is an independent vs dependent variable?
Dependent variable: The variable being measured by investigator.
The data that is being recorded.
Independent variable: The factor that is being manipulated by the
experimenter.
Does not sleeping for three days affect your performance on a
memory test?
What is the dependent variable?
Performance on the memory test
What is the independent variable?
Whether or not you have slept in last 3 days

34. What is an independent vs dependent variable?
Dependent variable: The variable being measured by investigator.
The data that is being recorded.
Independent variable: The factor that is being manipulated by the
experimenter.
Does not sleeping for three days affect your performance on a
memory test?
How many levels of the IV are there?
What is the dependent variable?
Performance on the memory test
What is the independent variable?
Whether or not you have slept in last 3 days

35. What is an independent vs dependent variable?
How many levels of the IV are there?
What is an independent vs dependent variable?
Dependent variable: The variable being measured by investigator.
The data that is being recorded.
Independent variable: The factor that is being manipulated by the
experimenter.
Does gender of patient affect the amount of money spent in nursing homes?
What is the dependent variable?
Cost of nursing home care
What is the independent variable?
Gender (man or woman)

36. What is an independent vs dependent variable?
Dependent variable: The variable being measured by investigator.
The data that is being recorded.
Independent variable: The factor that is being manipulated by the
experimenter.
Does talking on a cell phone affect your ability to drive?
How many levels of the IV are there?
What is the dependent variable?
Performance on the driving test
What is the independent variable?
Whether or not you are talking on a cell phone

37. What is an independent vs dependent variable?
How many levels of the IV are there?
What is an independent vs dependent variable?
Dependent variable: The variable being measured by investigator.
The data that is being recorded.
Independent variable: The factor that is being manipulated by the
experimenter.
Does the make of the car affect perceived level of status? Please view these 10 different types of cars and rate how “cool” they are (1 – 3) 1 2 3
What is the dependent variable?
not
kinda
very
Rating of “coolness”
cool
cool
cool
What is the independent variable?
Types of car (10 different types)

38. Thank you!
See you next time!!