Statistical Literacy Assignment

The statistical concepts that we learn in class are seen everywhere in our day-to-day  lives whether it’s in the form of a report on the news, a post on your social media feed, or a conversation with a friend or family member. This assignment is designed as an   opportunity to practically apply what we’ve learned in class and assess the statistical  claims in popular science reporting.

What:   Find a popular science article that makes a claim that could and should be

supported by statistical evidence. Write a brief 2 to 4-page double-          spaced (12pt Arial or Times New Roman) report on how the claim could be supported using the statistical concepts we covered in class.

When:   The statistical literacy assignment is due on Wednesday, April 6th, 2022

@ 11:59PM ET.

Why:   We are not only learning these statistical concepts to use when conducting

our own research – these are also imperative when we critically evaluate claims made in both scientific research and in daily life.

This assignment is designed to allow you to demonstrate you the             conceptual understanding of the topics we covered in class – you are not expected to use any calculations for this assignment.

Grading:   The statistical literacy assignment will make up 15% of your total grade.

More details on how the assignment will be graded can be found below.

Your assignment should include the following components:

1.  Summary of the claim

Choose a popular science article about a psychology-related topic – briefly       summarize and clearly describe one of the claims being made in the article that  could and should be supported with statistical evidence . I advise you to find a     short article that makes only one main claim – you can choose to use a longer    article that makes multiple claims, but clearly describe the single claim you are   focusing on. Make sure to cite the article you decide to write about in APA           format. This citation should include a link to the source of the article for review by your TAs.

A good summary should indicate what the relevant variables are. It should also    include what the null and alternative hypotheses are in plain language. Don’t       forget to provide some context to the claim that they are making (AKA what is the big picture?)

The goal of this assignment is not to evaluate an empirical journal article, but      rather to critically evaluate how science is reported. If you are unsure of where to

look, here are some websites that you could start your search with:

•   NPR (https://www.npr.org/sections/science/)

•   Popular Science (https://www.popsci.com/)

•   Scientific American (https://www.scientificamerican.com/)

•   Vox (https://www.vox.com/)

•   Wired (https://www.wired.com/)

2.  Statistical approach

Describe a statistical approach using concepts that we learned in this course that could have been used to support the claim you picked. Things you may want to   consider: how might you operationalize the relevant variables? Who would you    collect the data from? How would you collect the data from these participants?    How would you analyze this data? Is it costlier to make a particular type of error? What pattern of results would you expect to support your claim? How big do you expect the effect to be?

It is important to note that your grade will not be based on how complex your     statistical approach is. In addition, your approach does not have to be the same  as the statistical approach used in the primary source (if relevant). It is more        important that you demonstrate a clear, nuanced, and thoughtful (i.e. be              reasonable in your approach!) understanding of the statistical considerations that need to be made when supporting a claim.

3.  Strengths of the approach

Describe at least two strengths (whether statistically or practically) to the              statistical approach you chose to support the claim. It is not sufficient to list out    the strengths – you should describe how they are relevant to the claim and justify it as a strength in the context of the claim.

4.  Limitations of the approach

Describe at least two unique limitations (whether statistically or practically) to the statistical approach you chose to support the claim. It is not sufficient to list out   the limitations – you should describe how they are relevant to the claim and        justify it as a limitation in the context of the claim.

5.  Personal reflection

Given what you learned in this course, did your chosen article provide a fair and accurate description of the study? Would someone who has not taken this         course, such as a friend or family member, be able to understand the claims      being made? Describe why or why not.

Grading