Instructions and Guidelines for the Project

For the statistics project, you address some questions that interest you with the statistical methodology you learned.  Student will choose the research question; decide how to collect data; and do the analyses.  The questions can address almost any topic (subject to my approval), including topics in economics, psychology, sociology, natural science, medicine, public policy, sports, law, etc.

The project requires you to synthesize all the material from the course.  Hence, it’s one of the best ways to solidify your understanding of statistical methods and to demonstrate your competency. 

– The first phase will be your project proposal – a single page summary of your intended study and project goals with a project title.  

– The last phase will be your final report, that will cover all the steps in a given final report format provided below.  This phase will also include your 20-min project presentation (recorded).

Guide to Final Report Writing 

Executive Summary (one page of brief description of the study and conclusion) 

I. Introduction (Objectives)

• What is the research question?
• Why is the research question?
• What is the type of study?  (observational or experimental)
• What is the population of interest?
• State the general research hypothesis

II. Methods 

• Describe data collection procedures and sampling methods
• Describe statistical methods used for the analysis, also include the statistical software used for the analysis
• Discuss limitations of data collection procedure

III. Results

Descriptive Statistics

• Numeric Summary

  Discrete variables: frequency, percent, contingency tables, etc.
  Continuous variables: mean, SD, Q1, Q3, etc.

• Visual Summary

  Bar Chart, Histogram, Side by Side Box Plots, Scatter Plots, Probability Plots, etc.

(Must properly label each table and figure.)

Inferential Statistics

• Hypothesis Testing

  State general research hypothesis
  Report p-value of the test 

• Confidence Interval Estimation
• Verification of the assumptions behind the statistical inference procedures
• Interpret results
• Attach tables and/or graphs make reference to them in the report when necessary

IV. Conclusions 

• Summarize Results
• Discuss limitations of study
• Discuss possible further research

V. Reference: List of references cited in your paper

VI. Appendix: Show the null hypothesis, alternative hypothesis, test statistic value and p-value for the test used in the analysis results section. You may copy and paste the output from the statistical software that you used for the analysis in this section. It is usually not reported in the professional report or article. You are doing it to show the instructor additional information from your analysis. 

Instructions and Guidelines for the Project

For the statistics project, you address some questions that interest you with the statistical methodology you learned.  Student will choose the research question; decide how to collect data; and do the analyses.  The questions can address almost any topic (subject to my approval), including topics in economics, psychology, sociology, natural science, medicine, public policy, sports, law, etc.

The project requires you to synthesize all the material from the course.  Hence, it’s one of the best ways to solidify your understanding of statistical methods and to demonstrate your competency. 

– The first phase will be your project proposal – a single page summary of your intended study and project goals with a project title.  

– The last phase will be your final report, that will cover all the steps in a given final report format provided below.  This phase will also include your 20-min project presentation (recorded).

Guide to Final Report Writing

Executive Summary (one page of brief description of the study and conclusion)

I. Introduction (Objectives)

·

What is the research question?

· Why is the research question?

· What is the type of study?  (observational or experimental)

· What is the population of interest?

· State the general research hypothesis

II. Methods

· Describe data collection procedures and sampling methods

· Describe statistical methods used for the analysis, also include the statistical software used for the analysis

· Discuss limitations of data collection procedure

III. Results

Descriptive Statistics

· Numeric Summary

· Discrete variables: frequency, percent, contingency tables, etc.

· Continuous variables: mean, SD, Q1, Q3, etc.

· Visual Summary

· Bar Chart, Histogram, Side by Side Box Plots, Scatter Plots, Probability Plots, etc.

(Must properly label each table and figure.)

Inferential Statistics

· Hypothesis Testing

· State general research hypothesis

· Report p-value of the test

· Confidence Interval Estimation

· Verification of the assumptions behind the statistical inference procedures

· Interpret results

· Attach tables and/or graphs make reference to them in the report when necessary

IV. Conclusions

· Summarize Results

· Discuss limitations of study

· Discuss possible further research

V. Reference: List of references cited in your paper

VI. Appendix: Show the null hypothesis, alternative hypothesis, test statistic value and p-value for the test used in the analysis results section. You may copy and paste the output from the statistical software that you used for the analysis in this section. It is usually not reported in the professional report or article. You are doing it to show the instructor additional information from your analysis.

Running head: DOES EATING BREAKFAST INCREASE TEST SCORES 1

DOES EATING BREAKFAST INCREASE TEST SCORES 4

Does Eating Breakfast Increase Test Scores

Introduction

Students have been found to perform differently in the test when they are exposed to different conditions. These conditions may be physical or mental. Thus good test scores are attributed to the favorable physical or the psychological setting. For example, students’ performance in tests or exams has been attributed to the psychological setting that prevails in the student. Hence for one to be able to perform very well in class, a psychological factor that has to be enhanced is the state of satisfaction after eating. It is alleged that the comfort a student obtains from eating food sets him or her ready to his brains to have a better performance capacity. This means that a hungry student is alleged to be stressful and that he or she may not fully work well thus the outcome of the activity they are doing will be of poor quality. There has been a trend that has been under investigation on whether satisfaction in the stomach has a relevant effect on the performance and thus the need to identify whether it is a status of the psychology or it is a direct influence on the brain functioning.

Research hypothesis

It is hypothesized that, students who take breakfast increase test scores.

Discipline: Psychology

Second discipline: Dieting

Definitions

Breakfast – this is the first meal of the day for anybody or any animal, it is usually taken in the morning.

Test – Any standardized procedure for measuring sensitivity, memory, intelligence, aptitude or personality or any procedure that is standardized and used to measure intelligence, memory, sensitivity, attitude or the personality of a person.

Score – a number or letter that is used to indicate the quality of a person’s or students’ performance.

Research plan

This research study will employ an interdisciplinary approach to study two groups of students, the test or study group and the control group. Therefore in general, we shall employ a sampling mechanism to collect data from the study group that will comprise of the students’ group that will take a test after taking breakfast and when not taking breakfast while noting their different test scores. In both cases, the control group will take their test after taking breakfast in both cases.

The research will be able to show if there exists some difference in test scores between when a student takes breakfast before the test and when they do not. Also, the study will be able to identify whether the scores will be directly associated with breakfast or indirectly.

Expected conclusions

It is anticipated in response to the two cases that the students who will be taking breakfast before the test are likely to perform well than when they do the test without breakfast. This is because when students take breakfast, they concentrate more on the test and hence perform very well than when they are on an empty stomach.

If found out that this is true, then there will be an emphasis on ensuring that students be urged to take regular meals concerning when they are required to take tests. This is to ensure that they give the best of their performance in the respective tests.

References

Peterson’s (Firm). (2009). Peterson’s colleges in the West. Lawrenceville, NJ: Peterson’s.

United States. (2010). Examining innovative practices to improve child nutrition: Hearing before the Subcommittee on Healthy Families and Communities, Committee on Education and Labor, U.S. House of Representatives, One Hundred Eleventh Congress, first session, hearing held in Washington, DC, October 8, 2009. Washington: U.S. G.P.O.