Statistics for Premaster Communication & Information Sciences
Premaster course (2021)
Course code: 800547-B-6
Tilburg University
Weekly learning goals including:
Book summary: Discovering Statistics Using IBM SPSS statistics (Field, A);
Supplemented with theoretical lecture notes;
And practical units (PU) notes.
Flowcharts of tests (& their assumptions) + clicks in SPSS
APA report templates (per test)
,Week 1: Introduction: doing research (Chapters 1&4).............................................................4
The role of data in the research design........................................................................................4
Types of variables........................................................................................................................5
Types of research.........................................................................................................................7
The SPSS environment................................................................................................................7
Week 2: research methods & statistical models (Chapters 2&5)..............................................8
Models & measurement errors.....................................................................................................8
Frequency distributions (normal distributions)............................................................................8
Mean, mode, median and standard deviations.............................................................................9
Testing research questions: principles.......................................................................................10
Week 3: exploring data with graphs & comparing means (Chapters 5&10).........................12
Independent, dependent, one-sample t-test................................................................................12
Week 4: Testing assumptions / Bias (Chapter 6)......................................................................15
Explore data: histograms, box plots & bar charts, line charts, scatter plots..............................15
Assumptions...............................................................................................................................15
Homogeneity of variance...........................................................................................................18
Week 5: The SPINE of statistics (Chapter 2)............................................................................19
Week 6: Comparing Means (Chapter 12&18.9-18.12).............................................................21
Week 7 & 8: Comparing means (Chapter 14)...........................................................................25
Week 9: Chi-square test (Chapter 19).......................................................................................29
Week 10: Correlation Analysis (Chapter 8)..............................................................................33
Week 11 & 12: (Simple) Linear regression analysis (Chapter 9)............................................36
Overview of Statistical Tests & their Steps...............................................................................42
T-test..........................................................................................................................................42
One-way ANOVA.....................................................................................................................42
, Factorial ANOVA......................................................................................................................43
Chi-square..................................................................................................................................44
Correlation.................................................................................................................................44
Regression..................................................................................................................................45
APA REPORTS...........................................................................................................................46
Effect sizes.................................................................................................................................46
T-test..........................................................................................................................................48
One-way ANOVA.....................................................................................................................49
Factorial (two-way) ANOVA....................................................................................................50
Chi-square..................................................................................................................................52
Correlation.................................................................................................................................53
Regression..................................................................................................................................53
, Week 1: Introduction: doing research (Chapters 1&4)
The role of data in the research design
…can explain the research process and what each step in the process entails.
Research starts with curiosity, with a question. If this question cannot be answered by looking up
information, you can start research. Can you collect data? When the research becomes testable,
you call it scientific.
Observation (= observe real world and read existing research) > generate theory > hypotheses
(pag.5) > research to collect data > analyze the data = back to generate theory
A theory is a hypothesized general principle (or set of principles) that explains why. Theories
allow you to create new hypotheses.
Generating a hypothesis: creating a prediction which you are going to test through falsification
(possibility of disproof).
With falsification you are going to disproof a theory or hypothesis. Your point of departure in
hypothesis-testing is always that there is no difference.
Premaster course (2021)
Course code: 800547-B-6
Tilburg University
Weekly learning goals including:
Book summary: Discovering Statistics Using IBM SPSS statistics (Field, A);
Supplemented with theoretical lecture notes;
And practical units (PU) notes.
Flowcharts of tests (& their assumptions) + clicks in SPSS
APA report templates (per test)
,Week 1: Introduction: doing research (Chapters 1&4).............................................................4
The role of data in the research design........................................................................................4
Types of variables........................................................................................................................5
Types of research.........................................................................................................................7
The SPSS environment................................................................................................................7
Week 2: research methods & statistical models (Chapters 2&5)..............................................8
Models & measurement errors.....................................................................................................8
Frequency distributions (normal distributions)............................................................................8
Mean, mode, median and standard deviations.............................................................................9
Testing research questions: principles.......................................................................................10
Week 3: exploring data with graphs & comparing means (Chapters 5&10).........................12
Independent, dependent, one-sample t-test................................................................................12
Week 4: Testing assumptions / Bias (Chapter 6)......................................................................15
Explore data: histograms, box plots & bar charts, line charts, scatter plots..............................15
Assumptions...............................................................................................................................15
Homogeneity of variance...........................................................................................................18
Week 5: The SPINE of statistics (Chapter 2)............................................................................19
Week 6: Comparing Means (Chapter 12&18.9-18.12).............................................................21
Week 7 & 8: Comparing means (Chapter 14)...........................................................................25
Week 9: Chi-square test (Chapter 19).......................................................................................29
Week 10: Correlation Analysis (Chapter 8)..............................................................................33
Week 11 & 12: (Simple) Linear regression analysis (Chapter 9)............................................36
Overview of Statistical Tests & their Steps...............................................................................42
T-test..........................................................................................................................................42
One-way ANOVA.....................................................................................................................42
, Factorial ANOVA......................................................................................................................43
Chi-square..................................................................................................................................44
Correlation.................................................................................................................................44
Regression..................................................................................................................................45
APA REPORTS...........................................................................................................................46
Effect sizes.................................................................................................................................46
T-test..........................................................................................................................................48
One-way ANOVA.....................................................................................................................49
Factorial (two-way) ANOVA....................................................................................................50
Chi-square..................................................................................................................................52
Correlation.................................................................................................................................53
Regression..................................................................................................................................53
, Week 1: Introduction: doing research (Chapters 1&4)
The role of data in the research design
…can explain the research process and what each step in the process entails.
Research starts with curiosity, with a question. If this question cannot be answered by looking up
information, you can start research. Can you collect data? When the research becomes testable,
you call it scientific.
Observation (= observe real world and read existing research) > generate theory > hypotheses
(pag.5) > research to collect data > analyze the data = back to generate theory
A theory is a hypothesized general principle (or set of principles) that explains why. Theories
allow you to create new hypotheses.
Generating a hypothesis: creating a prediction which you are going to test through falsification
(possibility of disproof).
With falsification you are going to disproof a theory or hypothesis. Your point of departure in
hypothesis-testing is always that there is no difference.
