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Week 8 Collaboration Lab - analysis of covariance (ANCOVA)
COLLAPSE
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Post questions about ANCOVA here.
For the HW, be sure the model you fit has one continuous covariate, one categorical IV, and a continuous DV.
Be sure to screen for violations of assumptions.
For an example of how to write up the results, see page 713 of the Warner text.
DATASET
WEEK 8 INSTRUCTIONS
Week 8: Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA)
The one-way ANOVA is a fantastic statistical tool if you just want to see if there are differences across group means but it does not provide the ability to control for any important variables. The analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) could be explained simply as a one-way ANOVA that adds a continuous variable as a control.
As an example, a statistics professor may wish to understand what teaching approach is most useful in imparting statistical knowledge (a topic about which many statistics professors are very interested). The professor may use a different instructional approach in three different classes to determine which produces higher mean outcome scores. Using a one-way ANOVA does not control for the confounding aspect of the level of statistical knowledge that a student had coming into the course. The professor can administer a pre-test at the beginning of the term and now control for previously acquired statistics knowledge when comparing means.
In this week, you explore practice applying ANCOVA to given datasets and once again analyze quantitative research articles that apply this method.
Learning Objectives
Students will:
Apply ANCOVA in a dataset
Analyze ANCOVA in a dataset
Apply statistical software to analyze data
Critique research studies that apply ANCOVA
Learning Resources
Required Readings
Warner, R. M. (2013). Applied statistics: From bivariate through multivariate techniques (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
Chapter 17, “Analysis of Covariance” (pp. 688–725)
This chapter equips you with the information to needed to assess nonequivalent comparison groups—a phenomenon often encountered in quasi-experimental research (and in Walden capstone studies).
Datasets
In this course, your instructor will provide you with one dataset (Guided Sample Dataset: Statistics Anxiety) that will be used in several of the tutorial videos. You are encouraged to reproduce the analyses performed in the video using this dataset so you can compare your answers and check your understanding of how to do each analysis in SPSS. You will also be provided with three large datasets for you to use in application of the statistics you're learning each week. The Statistics Anxiety dataset is not for use in your weekly Assignments. Your instructor may also recommend using a different dataset from the ones we have provided here, which is fine. Your instructor will share these datasets in the Doc Sharing section of the classroom and as an Announcement.
In this course, your instructor will provide you with one dataset (Guided Sample Dataset: Statistics Anxiety) that will be used in several of the tutorial videos. You are encouraged to reproduce the analyses performed in the video using this dataset so you can compare your answers and check your understanding of how to do each analysis in SPSS. You will also be provided with three large datasets for you to use in application of the statistics you're learning each week. The Statistics Anxiety dataset is not for use in your weekly Assignments. Your instructor may also recommend using a different dataset from the ones we have provided here, which is fine. Your instructor will share these datasets in the Doc Sharing section of the classroom and as an Announcement.
Required Media
Laureate Education (Producer). (2017h). Introduction to analysis of covariance [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 2 minutes.
Begin each week of the course by viewing the Weekly Introduction video, in which experienced statistics Instructors, Dr. Matt [name removed] and Dr. Annie Pezalla, provide context for new learning, explain statistical methods in easy-to-understand language, and describe the learning activities you will need to complete.
Accessible player
Laureate Education (Producer). (2017c). ANCOVA [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 7 minutes 15 seconds.
This video provides step-by-step instructions that explain how to perform the statistical test required in Assignment 1.
Accessible player
Collaboration Lab
Collaboration Labs are offered throughout the course as places of academic refuge, where you can ask questions, offer insights, and interact with the Instructor as they provide global feedback to the group based on trends, common problems, and common strengths in student posts.
As a peer, you are also encouraged to provide constructive, helpful feedback to your peers. Data analysts always benefit from the feedback of others. Your Collaboration Labs posts may be procedural (“How do I get the answer using the SPSS software?”), conceptual (“How does this relate to the other tests we have learned?”), or analytical (“What do my calculations actually mean in the context of my research question?”).
Although not mandatory, this is an opportunity to interact and practice as you navigate the assignments, so you are highly encouraged to take part in this activity. Full participation in activities like these is a statistically significant predictor of success.
Note that each week contains its own unique Collaboration Lab, so the Collaboration Lab should contain only posts related to this week’s topic and this week’s Assignments.
To participate in this Collaboration Lab:
Week 8 Collaboration Lab
Assignment 1: ANCOVA in SPSS
Earlier this week, you practiced using ANCOVA models with SPSS and, ideally, used the Collaboration Lab to ask, answer, and otherwise address any questions you had. In this Assignment, you apply what you learned to answer a social research question using ANCOVA. Hopefully you are not yet tired of comparing means!
To prepare
Review the datasets provided.
Construct a research question based on one of those datasets.
Pay attention to the assumptions of this test, and ask, “Does it make sense to interpret the mean of this dependent variable?”
By Day 7
The Assignment
Use SPSS to answer the research question you constructed. Write an analysis in APA format, including title page, references, and an appendix, that includes your data output and addresses each of the tasks listed below. The content should be 2–3 pages, including setup of the assignment, results, and interpretation of results. Your SPSS output should be included as an appendix.
What is the null hypothesis for your question?
What research design(s) would align with this question?
What dependent variable was used and how is it measured?
What independent variable is used and how is it measured?
What is your covariate?
What is the answer to your research question?
What are the possible implications of social change?
Early in your Assignment, when you relate which dataset you analyzed, please include the mean of the following variables. If you are using the Afrobarometer Dataset, report the mean of Q1 (Age). If you are using the General Social Survey Dataset, report the mean of Age. If you are using the HS Long Survey Dataset, report the mean of X1Par1Edu. See pages 713 and 714 in your Warner textbook for an excellent APA-compliant write-up of an ANCOVA.
Submission and Grading Information
To submit your completed Assignment for review and grading, do the following:
Please save your Assignment using the naming convention “WK8Assgn1+last name+first initial.(extension)” as the name.
Click the Week8 Assignment 1 Rubric to review the Grading Criteria for the Assignment.
Click the Week 8 Assignment 1 link. You will also be able to “View Rubric” for grading criteria from this area.
Next, from the Attach File area, click on the Browse My Computer button. Find the document you saved as “WK8Assgn1+last name+first initial.(extension)” and click Open.
If applicable: From the Plagiarism Tools area, click the checkbox for I agree to submit my paper(s) to the Global Reference Database.
Click on the Submit button to complete your submission.
Grading Criteria
To access your rubric:
Week 8 Assignment 1 Rubric
Check Your Assignment Draft for Authenticity
To check your Assignment draft for authenticity:
Submit your Week 8 Assignment 1 draft and review the originality report.
Submit Your Assignment by Day 7
To submit your Assignment:
Week 8 Assignment 1
Assignment 2: Article Critique
The practice of quantitative research not only involves statistical calculations and formulas but also involves the understanding of statistical techniques related to real-world applications. You might not become a quantitative researcher nor use statistical methods in your profession but as a consumer, citizen, and scholar-practitioner, it will be important for you to become a critical consumer of research, which will empower you to read, interpret, and evaluate the strength of claims made in scholarly material and daily news.
For this Assignment, you will critically evaluate a scholarly article related to ANCOVA.
To prepare
Review the Article Critique Assignment Guide in the Walden Library, listed in the Week 2 Learning Resources.
Search the Walden Library for a quantitative article that applies ANCOVA.
By Day 7
The Assignment
Write a 2- to 3-page critique of the research you found in the Walden Library that includes responses to the following prompts:
Why did the authors select ANCOVA in the research?
Do you think this test was the most appropriate choice? Why or why not?
Did the authors display the results in a figure or table?
Does the results table stand alone? In other words, are you able to interpret the study from it? Why or why not?
Submission and Grading Information
To submit your completed Assignment for review and grading, do the following:
Please save your Assignment using the naming convention “WK8Assgn2+last name+first initial.(extension)” as the name.
Click the Week 8 Assignment 2 Rubric to review the Grading Criteria for the Assignment.
Click the Week 8 Assignment 2 link. You will also be able to “View Rubric” for grading criteria from this area.
Next, from the Attach File area, click on the Browse My Computer button. Find the document you saved as “WK8Assgn2+last name+first initial.(extension)” and click Open.
If applicable: From the Plagiarism Tools area, click the checkbox for I agree to submit my paper(s) to the Global Reference Database.
Click on the Submit button to complete your submission.
Grading Criteria
To access your rubric:
Week 8 Assignment 2 Rubric
Check Your Assignment Draft for Authenticity
To check your Assignment draft for authenticity:
Submit your Week 8 Assignment 2 draft and review the originality report.
Submit Your Assignment by Day 7
To submit your Assignment:
Week 8 Assignment 2
Week in Review
This week you critiqued research studies, analyzed and applied ANCOVA in a dataset. Next week you will explore foundational, one-way MANOVA models and how it can serve as a basic building block to extend your statistical testing to other applications.
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