Statistics Assessment

Social Research Skills 1

In this assignment you will need a) to answer some general questions about quantitative data analysis and b) to answer some questions using data taken from the 2013 British Social Attitudes Survey.All questions must be answered.

1. The following questions are about measurement

a) List the different levels a variable may take and describe the properties of the levels.

b) List the level of measurement that has been used for each of the variables in the dataset (other than the serial number)? Do not use the level of measurement in the data file. They have all been set to scale.

c) How do variables' levels of measurement affect statistical analyses? Give examples.

2. You are required to report some descriptive statistics. Report your findings using any charts or tables you think are appropriate.

a) Report two measures of dispersion and two measures of central tendency of the number of hours respondents normally work a week in their main job?

b) What percentage of the sample strongly agree there is one law for the rich and another for the poor?(report valid percent)

3. The following questions are about the number of trips by plane respondents have taken in the last 12 months.

a) What is the greatest number of trips by plane a respondent reported making during the last 12 months?

b) Recode the variable measuring how many trips respondents took by plane over the last 12 months into the following categories: 0 trips, 1-3 trips, 4-10 trips and more than 10 trips. Display the proportions in each category using appropriate tables and charts.

c) What percentage of respondents who made 0 trips agree strongly that people who commit crimes should get stiffer sentences?

4. The following question are about respondents'education and authoritarianism.

a) Report the confidence interval of the mean age respondents were when they left continuous full time education. Please give an interpretation of your results.

b) Is respondents' mean score on the scale measuring their authoritarianism significantly different from 3? What test did you use?

5. The following question is about hypothesis testing and statistical significance.

a) In your own words,define the concept of a sampling distribution.

b) In your own words, describe the role sampling distributions play in enabling statistical inferences.

c) In your won word, describe the difference between a p value and an ??(alpha) value

6.The following questions are about behavioural and attitudinal differences between members of the sample. For each question you must select the appropriate test of significance, report relevant SPSS output and an interpretation of your results.

a) Does respondents' agreement with the statement that people who break the law should face stiffer sentences differ by the country they live in? Which test did you use and was it statistically significant?

b) How do respondents' welfare scale scores differ by religion? Which test did you use and was it statistically significant?

c) Describe the association between respondents' left right scores and the age they were when they left full time education? Which test did you use and was it statistically significant?

d) How does the mean life satisfaction score differ across men and women? Are the differences statistically significant? Please report which statistical test you used.

7. The following questions are about modelling the relationship between respondents' libertarian-authoritarian attitudes and the effect that migrants have on British culture.Please include all relevant SPSS output and interpret your results.

a) Model respondents' beliefs about the effects of migrants on British cultureas a function of their libertarian-authoritarian score. What is the expected change in the scores measuring respondents' beliefs about the effects of migrants on British culture with a unit change in their libertarian-authoritarian scores?

b) What is the correlation between the two variables?

c) Display in a graph the relationship between the two variables.

d) What is the proportionate reduction in error in predicting respondents' beliefs about the effects of migrants on British cultureby modelling them as a function of their libertarian-authoritarian scores?

Attachment:- British_Social_Attitudes_Survey.sav