SPSS Output:
Assignment Instructions
At this
point, you have become proficient in using SPSS to analyze and interpret data. No
research that is conducted has any real value unless it is disseminated to
others to be used and considered. This assignment will help you better
understand the process of answering the “how”
question in research. It will also allow you to demonstrate your ability to
process and analyze data, interpret that data, and present that information in
a professional and understandable manner to others.
There
are many different research methods and statistical analyses available to
address specific hypotheses, though the selected measure should be driven by
the research question, and more specifically the IV and DV (or multiple
variables). It is important to be
familiar with the many ways a question can be answered, or hypotheses tested. In
your own project, you will determine the most appropriate analysis to answer
your question and address your hypotheses and variables. For this SPSS output assignment, the
statistic has been identified for you to use for the given scenario.
For this
assignment, you will have to determine the specific hypothesis and variables to
address the scenario given, create a SPSS data file using fictitious data, and
present the results and interpretation of that data based on what the results
indicate. Additionally, you will demonstrate your ability to conduct a priori,
and post hoc analyses to determine if various assumptions are met.
In order
to conduct the analysis, you should create fictitious data sets for this
assignment by using a randomizer available on the Internet (or other random
data selection process) to select your data for you. Because this is fictitious
data, you must clearly identify such to your reader. Your data set and output
must be original, using your fictitious dataset generated for this assignment.
You
should submit a journal style, APA formatted paper with all of the required
elements included in your paper. Each section should be identified with a level
I heading. You will not likely need any references or outside sources for this
assignment unless you use a source to identify an appropriate instrument. Therefore,
a reference page is only required if you do cite something in the paper. Your
submission will include appropriate narratives for each section, and you will
create APA formatted charts and graphs as appropriate to illustrate your
results. You should not copy and paste from SPSS for this requirement. Your APA
manual will provide good information on how to format graphics in an APA paper.
Your paper should include a title page in current APA format (professional),
and level I headings identifying each section of your paper. Your Methods
section should utilize Level II headings as well to organize and identify your
subtopics in that section.
ANCOVA Research
Scenario:
A church
is operating a large substance abuse recovery program, and wants to know how
they can be more effective in their work. Therefore, they hire a researcher
to help them assess their effectiveness, and offer suggestions for
improvements. Specifically, they want to know if different types of recovery
training classes (traditional 12 step, Celebrate Recovery 12 step, uniquely
designed nouthetic approach) have a different effect on a person’s
consumption of the substance. A pilot study was previously conducted using an
ANOVA, with the three different teaching programs measured against the number
of relapses in a six-month period. However, they wonder if a person’s
existing Bible knowledge may affect the scores. Therefore, the researcher
decides to further study the teaching methods while considering the
participants’ biblical knowledge. The biblical knowledge is assessed by
giving a general biblical knowledge test which is scored by percent of
answers correct (0 to 100). Participants (N=99) are randomly assigned equally
to one of the three teaching groups.
Their biblical knowledge and number of relapses are scored to
determine if there is covariance among these.
Design this research based on the information given using an ANCOVA
statistic.
-You should use “a=.05.
-For this assignment, analyze your results as
though all assumptions are met in your data, even if they are not.
Your paper for this assignment must include the following items/sections:
1.
Title Page
o
Your title page should be in APA professional
format.
o
Provide an appropriate research focused title
for your reader that fits what is being researched in the scenario.
2.
Abstract
(summarize your paper and findings – it is not an introduction)
3.
Introduction:
o
Provide an introduction and overview of the
research scenario for your reader.
o
You do not need to write a background or
literature review for this assignment. It is also not necessary to give an
introduction or background/explanation for the various treatment programs, etc.
Simply introduce your actual research scenario to your reader here.
o
Include your research question(s) at the end of
this section.
4.
Methods: [This
section should utilize level II headings to organize each of the sections of the
methodology.]
o
Hypotheses and Variables – This section should begin by identifying the
research hypothesis(es), identification of your variables, and an operational
definition of your variables.
o
Participants –
§
Include a short, but complete, participants
section. Remember to include all applicable information about your
participants, but avoid unnecessary information that only adds “clutter”.
§
You should also include sampling procedures,
and protection protocols (ethics) in this section.
§
Justify your participants sample size (n) with
an a priori power analysis. Calculate
and briefly summarize the findings of your a
priori power.
o
Procedures – Give a
thorough narrative of the procedures you would have followed in conducting this
research.
o
Instruments/Materials – identify any instruments or materials you
would have used in conducting this research. If you do use something that is
published or otherwise available from a source, be sure to cite that and
include it in a reference page.
o
Measures- Identify
the measures you used in conducting this research (ANCOVA), and explain why
this is the appropriate measure to use for what you are measuring. Remember
that validity requires you to actually measure what you say you are measuring.
5.
Results (including graphics):
o
This section must include the following:
§
calculate and briefly summarize any ONE of the
following exploratory data analyses: Shapiro-Wilk, Q-Q Plot, or Levene
§
calculate and report your ANCOVA results
o
Provide the results of your SPSS outputs in the
format commonly used in research journal articles. Note that this is not where
you will interpret results.
o
A minimum of two appropriate charts or graphs
illustrating the results of your data are required (one for your exploratory
data, and one for your ANCOVA results). Do not simply cut and paste from SPSS.
Be sure your graphic is presented in APA format, including appropriate identifiers.
Keep in mind that your reader must not only benefit from this visual, but it
must also be clear what is being presented.
6.
Discussion:
o
This section should discuss the interpretation
and meaning of your ANCOVA analysis.
o
Again, follow the standard format as seen in
most common journal articles.
7.
Conclusion:
o
This section should essentially mirror your
introduction section in some ways, but by showing the importance and meaning of
your findings.
o
Include the importance of this research and how
it would be used (the “so what”
question), the limitations to this study, and implications for future research.
o
Again, review common research journal articles
for examples of how this section is commonly written.
8.
Reference Page (only if needed):
9.
Appendix:
o
Include a chart of your raw data as an
appendix.
o
Your appendix should be identified with an
appropriate APA heading, identifying it as Appendix
A.
o
You may copy and paste your raw data from SPSS,
as long as it is clear and legible to your reader, fits within the margins,
etc. If not, you may need to create a
table in your paper.
-Paper must be in
current APA format, including a title page and reference page (if
applicable).
-Your assignment will
be checked for originality via the Turnitin plagiarism tool.
