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Statistical Concepts
and Methods
for the Social Sciences

STAT/SOC/CSSS 221

We introduce basic statistical reasoning with an emphasis on problems encountered in social science research. We explore the use of statistical tools to answer scientific research questions, as well as the pitfalls associated with the misuse of statistics. Students should leave ready for more advanced statistics courses, and better armed to evaluate quantitative claims made by social sciencists and in the media.



STAT/SOC/CSSS 221

Statistical Concepts
and Methods
for the Social Sciences

Offered quarterly at the
University of Washington
by various instructors

Syllabus  

Readings  



Winter 2012

Class meets:
MWF 9:30–10:20 am
Electrical Engineering
  Building 105

TAs:

Esther Chang (Stat)
Kara Sylvester (Stat)
Mark Wine (Soc)

Section meets:
Tuesdays & Thursdays
BA: 8:30–9:20 am, MGH 242
BB: 9:30–10:20 am, MGH 254
BC: 8:30–9:20 am, SAV 139
BD: 9:30–10:20 am, SAV 264
BE: 8:30–9:20 am, MGH 254
BF: 9:30–10:20 am, SAV 139

Lectures           Click on lecture titles to view slides or the buttons to download them as PDFs.

Topic 1

Course Introduction  

Topic 2

Levels of Measurement  

Topic 3

Summarizing Data  

Topic 4

Relationships in Data  

Topic 5

Introduction to Probability  

Midterm

Review for Midterm Exam  

Topic 6

Random Variables  

Topic 7

Making Inferences from Samples  

Topic 8

Analyzing Tabular Data  

Topic 9

Bivariate Regression  

Topic 10

Introduction to Multiple Regression  

Final

Review for Final Exam  


Student Assignments

Extra Credit 1  

Due to your TA via email by 5 pm on Friday, January 6


Problem Set 1

Due Thursday, January 12 at the beginning of quiz section

[5 pts.] From Moore (6th ed.), complete problems 1.32, 1.38b, 1.45, and 2.33b, and choose one of problems 2.44 or 2.46 or 2.48 (Clearly indicate which problem you have chosen to answer). Show your work.


Problem Set 2

Due Thursday, January 19 at the beginning of quiz section

[5 pts.] From Moore (6th ed.), complete problems 4.29, 4.37, and 4.43. On problem 4.43, also answer part c.) Why did these predictions fail?   Show your work.

To receive credit for this assignment, you will also need to administer a brief survey to ten fellow UW students. The survey itself is available here, details on administering the survey are available here, and spreadsheet templates for recording and transmitting your survey responses are available in Excel, OpenOffice, and comma-separated variable formats. Please submit your completed survey by email attachment to your TA before the start of section on January 19. As an additional reward, turning in a correctly formatted set of responses will allow you to drop your lowest individual homework grade at the end of the quarter. Supplemental: To help you fill in the survey spreadsheet, here is an example set of responses (in bold), and the corresponding correctly filled out spreadsheet. Of course, your spreadsheet will have ten completed rows, not just one.


Problem Set 3

Due Thursday, January 26 at the beginning of quiz section

[5 pts.] From Moore (6th ed.), complete problems 6.20 through 6.24 inclusive, 6.25, 8.33, 8.44, and 9.28.


Problem Set 4

Due Thursday, February 9 at the beginning of quiz section

[5 pts.] From Moore (6th ed.), complete problems 10.41 througgh 10.43 inclusive, 10.46, 12.30 (but note that 12.30c. is extra credit, worth 0.25 pts), 12.32, and 12.40.


Extra Credit 2

Due Friday, February 10, by the beginning of class

[+1 pt.] This is a two part extra credit; completing each part will earn you +0.5 points on your final grade. To complete the first part of the assignment, you must send an email to your TA by Friday, February 10 at 9 am including the word HEIGHT (in all caps) in the title, and your own height in inches in the body of the message. (For example, my email might say that I am 73.5 inches tall.) If you would prefer not to reveal your own height, provide the height in inches of a randomly selected friend who has given you permission to do so. (You do not need to tell your TA if you gave your own height or someone else's.) The second part of the extra credit will be completed in class on Monday, February 13. You should come prepared to class with the height you sent to your TA via email, a pen, and a calculator to receive this extra credit.


Problem Set 5

Due Thursday, February 16 at the beginning of quiz section

[5 pts.] From Moore (6th ed.), complete problems 3.26, 3.34, 3.38, 11.26, and 11.28.


Problem Set 6

Due Thursday, February 23 at the beginning of quiz section

[5 pts.] From Moore (6th ed.), complete problems 14.22, 14.24, 15.31, 18.26, and 18.38b. For 18.38b, assume a t-test is appropriate.


Problem Set 7

Due Tuesday, March 6 at the beginning of quiz section

[5 pts.] From Moore (6th ed.), complete problems 23.30, 23.34, 24.1, 24.4, and 24.30.



University of Washington link

CSSS Center for Statistics and the Social Sciences link

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