PSY 510 SPSS Assignment 1

Question 1: Describe a Research Question and Hypothesis

A research question in psychology that interests me is: Does mindfulness meditation reduce stress levels in college students? Stress is a common issue among college students. The stress is often a result of several factors, including academic pressure. Mindfulness meditation has been suggested as a potential tool to manage stress.

Hypothesis: College students who practice mindfulness meditation daily for two weeks will report lower stress levels than students who do not engage in any meditation practice.

Question 2: Testing the Hypothesis

To test this hypothesis, I would conduct an experimental study with two groups: an experimental group and a control group.

• Procedure: Participants would be randomly divided into two groups: the experimental group, consisting of the mindfulness meditation group, and the control group, not meditating. The experimental group would conduct a daily guided mindfulness meditation of 20 minutes for a period of two weeks, while the control group would carry on with daily routines without meditation. All participants will be required to complete the PSS both before and after the two-week period to measure stress levels. Then, the level of stress among the students practicing mindfulness meditation would be compared with that within the control group to establish if such an intervention was effective or not.
• Independent Variable (IV): The independent variable in this study is type of intervention, with two conditions: mindfulness meditation and no meditation.
• Dependent Variable (DV): The dependent variable is stress level, measured by scores on the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS).

Question 3a

In this experiment, the independent variable (IV) is the type of intervention, which has two conditions: mindfulness meditation and no meditation (control). This variable took the value 1 for the mindfulness meditation group and 2 for the control group, depending on the condition each participant was in. The goal of this IV is to determine the effects that mindfulness meditation has on stress levels by comparing the experimental and control groups. To analyze the data, each participant is given a group number (1 or 2), and the data analysis can see if the independents (mindfulness) have an effect on the dependent (stress levels).

The dependent variable will be the level of stress quantified by PreStressScore and PostStressScore. This shall be obtained by using the perceived stress scale, PSS, whose values increase with an increase in the magnitudes of perceived stress. The level of the participant’s stress will be recorded both before and after the intervention to observe any change in the levels. Values that are lower for PostStressScore after going through the intervention compared to the meditation group will imply, in truth, that the meditation did reduce stress. For example, a decrease from 24 to 15 would indicate decreased stress, while the control group with unchanged or a higher score would suggest no avenue or significant effect due to no meditation.

ORDER A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE

We’ll write everything from scratch

PSY 510 SPSS Assignment 1

Before you begin the assignment:

 Access SPSS through SNHU’s VDI.
o Should you have difficulty accessing the Virtual Desktop, please contact the Help Desk
via chat or online form at https://snhu.service-now.com/sp or by phone at 1-855-877-9919. Technical support is available 24/7

 Refer to the video tutorials in the module resources for a basic of overview of using the SPSS
software.

Questions:
1) Describe a research question in psychology that interests you. Also, state a hypothesis for an
experiment related to your research question.

Type your answer below: Do pleasant aromas help students focus better?
It is hypothesized that children will focus better when there is a pleasant aroma surrounding them.

2) How might you test your hypothesis? Briefly describe the procedure you would use, and be sure to clearly discuss the independent variable(s) and dependent variable(s).

Type your answer below: To test the said hypothesis using the experimental research method, which consists of the manipulation of quantitative, independent variables so as to generate statistically analyzable data. A selection of 16 males and females ranging between ages 14-15 were placed into two test groups. In the first trial, they were placed in a room with a pleasant scent, given a worksheet, and asked to complete it. The same group was then placed in a second trial where they were placed in a room with no scent and given the same worksheet to complete. My research’s key variables would be
children exposed to a pleasant aroma while studying, which would be my independent variable. And children who are not exposed to any aroma, which would be my dependent variable.

PSY 510 SPSS Assignment 1

3a) In SPSS, enter hypothetical data for at least 15 participants. To do this, you will first need to create the variables in the “”Variable View.” .” You will then need to enter the data in the “”Data View.” .” When entering your hypothetical data, be sure to:
 Name each variable
 Use a label to provide more detail about each variable
 Enter values for your variable conditions
Your data file will be submitted along with this worksheet.

This study source was downloaded by 100000755421236 from CourseHero.com on 11-05-2024 10:06:01 GMT -06:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/81156527/3-1-SPSS-Assignment-1-An-Introduction-to-SPSSdocx/

3b) Provide an explanation for each of your variables. More specifically, which variable is the IV, and which is the DV? How would the variables be measured? How should the values be interpreted? For example, if your variable values are 1, 2, or 3, what do each of those numbers represent?

Type your answer below: So my independent variable is the scented trial, and the dependent variable is the unscented trial. The variables were measured by splitting the participants up and participating in two trials, one with a pleasant scent and one without a scent presented. Each participant was given a
worksheet to complete; they were timed. So the numbers under each trial represent the amount of time it took for each participant to finish their worksheet. The female-male designation represents the gender of each participant participating.