Behavioral Science 500 - Fall 1996
Quantitative Methods In The Behavioral Sciences

Course Description:  An examination of the major techniques used for quantitative analysis 
in contemporary behavioral science research, including basic tests of significance, power 
and research planning, measures of association, bivariate and multiple regression, factor 
analysis, path analysis, discriminant analysis, analysis of variance, nonparametric 
statistics, meta-analysis, and computer data analysis techniques.  Carries credit in 
Anthropology, Economics, Political Science, Psychology, or Sociology.

Prerequisite:	A college-level course in statistics

Instructor:		Mary J. Allen, Ph.D.

Office:		DDH-D117
			664-2366

Office Hours:	Tu 10:30-noon, W 8:05-8:30PM, Th 8:05-8:30PM (until 10/i8/96)

Class:		Monday, Wednesday, 6:00 - 8:05PM, DDH-E106

Texts:
	Howell, D. C. (1992). Statistical Methods for Psychology (3rd ed.).  Boston:  
PWS Kent Publishing Co.
	Grimm, L. G., & Yarnold, P. R. (1995).  Reading and Understanding Multivariate 
Statistics.  Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.
	Norusis, M. J. (1990). SPSS Introductory Statistics Student Guide.  Chicago:  
SPSS Inc. (recommended; copies of reserve in the library)

Text Which Would Be Helpful (especially for Psychology majors):
	Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (4th ed.). (1994). 
Washington, DC:  American Psychological Association.

General Course Goals:  To prepare students to be able to critically assess the results and 
implications of published literature in the social and behavioral sciences, to apply 
appropriate quantitative procedures, and to interpret the results of data analyses.  Using the 
undergraduate statistics course as a foundation, this graduate-level course will present to 
students an array of advanced statistical methods commonly used in basic and applied 
research in the behavioral and social sciences.  Students will learn to use the SPSS 
computer program to analyze data, to interpret these and other analyses, and to present 
them in a format consistent with the editorial style of the American Psychological 
Association.  

Course Grading:  The final course grade will be based on the following weighting system:

	Homework Assignments		15%
	Best Two of Three Quizzes	55%
	Final Comprehensive Exam	30%

Homework will be assigned in class, and due dates will be announced.  No late homework 
assignments will be accepted.  Students are encouraged to work cooperatively on 
homework assignments, but all students must turn in papers representing their own work.  
Students may not turn in multiple copies of a single set of answers.

The lowest of the the three quiz scores will be dropped.  Except under very unusual 
circumstances and with prior arrangement, no makeup exams will be allowed.  Missed 
exams will be used as the "dropped" quiz score.

The grading scale for the course is:

	92 -100%		A	78 - 79%		C+
	90 - 91%		A-	70 - 77%		C
	88 - 89%		B+	50 - 69%		D
	82 - 87%		B	  0 - 49%		F
	80 - 81%		B-
	
Integrity of Scholarship and Grades:  This course will follow the policies regarding 
academic honesty specified in the CSUB Catalog.

Tentative Course Schedule:

Part I (September 11 - October 2)
Introduction (Howell, Ch. 1-5)
Basic Tests on Means (Howell, Ch. 7)
Power and Research Planning (Howell, Ch. 8)
SPSS
APA Style (APA Publication Manual)
Quiz 1, Wednesday, October 2

Part II (October 7 - October 23)
Analysis of Variance (Howell, Ch. 11-14; Grimm & Yarnold, Ch. 8)
Mutivariate Analysis (Grimm & Yarnold, Ch. 1)
Relationships and Bivariate Regression (Howell, Ch. 9, 10)
Multiple Regression (Howell, Ch. 15; Grimm & Yarnold, Ch. 2)
Quiz 2, Wednesday, October 23

Part III (October 28 - November 18)
Factor Analysis (Grimm & Yarnold, Ch. 4)
Path Analysis (Grimm & Yarnold, Ch. 3)
Discriminant Analysis (Grimm & Yarnold, Ch. 9)
Nonparametric Statistics (Howell, Ch. 6, 18)
Meta-Analysis (Grimm & Yarnold, Ch. 10)
Quiz 3, Monday, November 18

Final exam: Thursday, November 21, 5-7:30PM