Hi There is an intermediate approach in which students implement formulas using more powerful programs than hand calculators. Minitab is great for this (I haven't used it for years) because you could implement formula to compute values that could then be entered into later formula. Something like:
let sum =3D sum(x). let mean =3D sum / n. This can also be done in Excel or some other spreadsheet. There was a debate a number of years ago about using spreadsheets to teach statistics, with some worrying about the inappropriate algorithms once upon a time incorporated into spreadsheets or the limitations of definitional formula (from a math point of view) and others focusing on the pedagogical value. In my honours stats class where students have to use syntax, I also do some of this using computes, such as (below 34.234 is mean of x): compute xdev =3D x - 34.234 compute xdev2 =3D xdev**2 descr xdev xdev2 /stat =3D sum shows sum of deviations about mean =3D 0 and gives SS for x. Avoids problem that Rick mentions but still requires students to "compute" the statistics, which I too believe is very important for understanding stats. Take care Jim James M. Clark Professor of Psychology 204-786-9757 204-774-4134 Fax j.cl...@uwinnipeg.ca >>> Rick Froman <rfro...@jbu.edu> 30-Oct-09 3:37:36 PM >>> The PS below is a good imitation of an invitation to a discussion (with the obvious exception of the opening sentence). So I will respect Dr. Melucci*s wishes and say that I don*t want to discuss the necessity of hand calculations either and furthermore that my undergrad stat class where I did paper and pencil hand calculations each weekday evening for a semester didn*t get me any closer to understanding statistics and only frustrated me when minor little mathematical errors prevented me from getting the answers shown in the book. It was kind of like teaching me to be a computer without providing me with a mathematical CPU unit. * Rick Dr. Rick Froman, Chair Division of Humanities and Social Sciences Box 3055 x7295 rfro...@jbu.edu http://tinyurl.com/DrFroman Proverbs 14:15 "A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his steps." From: drna...@aol.com [mailto:drna...@aol.com] Sent: Friday, October 30, 2009 2:28 PM To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) Subject: [tips] Intro Statistics Text recommendation PS. I don't want to discuss whether teaching the hand calculations is necessary. I could never learn mathematics by reading descriptions of how to do it. Before they learn SPSS, they need to learn at least a very basic version of what SPSS does. It's like teaching someone to use a calculator without teaching them to add, subtract, multiply etc. with his or her own brain first. Thanks for your help - and have a good weekend too. Nancy Melucci Long Beach CIty College Long Beach CA -----Original Message----- From: Gerald Peterson <peter...@vmail.svsu.edu> To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) <tips@acsun.frostburg.edu> Sent: Fri, Oct 30, 2009 12:12 pm Subject: Re: [tips] Seligman's Explanatory Style Would his ideas constitute a model, a formal theory, a moderator variable, a theoretical line of research, or in other words, just a theoretical idea? I just teach undergrads about features of formal scientific theories, but they soon find that anything passes for theory in psych textbooks and journals, and authors research various principles, effects, etc., without necessarily seeking the explanatory prowess of a developed theory. Learned helplessness in animals can be shown, but indeed, the human equivalent seems linked to styles/habits of attribution while its causal involvement in producing such experiences remains moot. It may be more relevant when covering cognitive therapies for these fundamentally neurobiological disorders. I enjoy mentioning the attributional style ideas when covering issues in adjustment, abnormal, etc., but am not convinced it deserves more than a gleeful mention allowing me to express my social-cognitive biases. Gerald L. (Gary) Peterson, Ph.D. Professor, Department of Psychology Saginaw Valley State University University Center, MI 48710 989-964-4491 peter...@svsu.edu<mailto:peter...@svsu.edu> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Scott O Lilienfeld" <slil...@emory.edu<mailto:slil...@emory.edu>> To: "Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS)" <tips@acsun.frostburg.edu<mailto:tips@acsun.frostburg.edu>> Sent: Friday, October 30, 2009 1:07:11 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: RE: [tips] Seligman's Explanatory Style Gary et al.: Seligman's attributional model has been presented and tested in many peer review articles over the past three decades, e.g., Abrahamson, L. Y., Seligman, M. E. P., & Teasdale, J. D. (1978). Learned helplessness in humans: Critique and reformulation. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 87, 49*74. (just noticed that this article has been cited a whopping 4181 times according to Google Scholar). In dozens of published studies, the stability and globality attributional dimensions have held up well as correlates of depression, the internality dimension somewhat less so (although admittedly I haven't tracked this literature all that closely of late). There is, as Gary notes, lively debate about causal directionality. Lauren Alloy and others have conducted longitudinal studies of these dimensions as predictors of depression in high risk samples; such studies may strengthen the argument for causal directionality, although of course they do not demonstrate it definitively given the inherent logical problem with post-hoc ergo hoc conclusions. ...Scott Scott O. Lilienfeld, Ph.D. Professor Editor, Scientific Review of Mental Health Practice Department of Psychology, Room 473 Psychology and Interdisciplinary Sciences (PAIS) Emory University 36 Eagle Row Atlanta, Georgia 30322 slil...@emory.edu<mailto:slil...@emory.edu> (404) 727-1125 Psychology Today Blog: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-skeptical-psychologist 50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology: http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-140513111X.html Scientific American Mind: Facts and Fictions in Mental Health Column: http://www.scientificamerican.com/sciammind/ The Master in the Art of Living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his education and his recreation, his love and his intellectual passions. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence in whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him * he is always doing both. - Zen Buddhist text (slightly modified) -----Original Message----- From: Gerald Peterson [mailto:peter...@vmail.svsu.edu<mailto:peter...@vmail.svsu.edu?>] Sent: Friday, October 30, 2009 12:52 PM To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) Subject: Re: [tips] Seligman's Explanatory Style Yes, I like some of his ideas but is his "theory" presented in peer-reviewed journals or just in his popular books? Does he spell out clear explanations or is he merely describing what he thinks is an important moderating factor namely, attribution or post-event thinking? While such attributional processes are interesting, I think even he has noted (with actual research citations) that it does not really predict well depression or similar problems. Most likely this attribution process is promoted by the proneness to depression. Just wonderin' Gary Gerald L. (Gary) Peterson, Ph.D. Professor, Department of Psychology Saginaw Valley State University University Center, MI 48710 989-964-4491 peter...@svsu.edu<mailto:peter...@svsu.edu> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Beth Benoit" <beth.ben...@gmail.com<mailto:beth.ben...@gmail.com>> To: "Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS)" <tips@acsun.frostburg.edu<mailto:tips@acsun.frostburg.edu>> Sent: Friday, October 30, 2009 12:32:46 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [tips] Seligman's Explanatory Style It's a favorite of mine too. I always cover it in just about every class. I even manage to sneak it into my Psychology of Love and Sex class. (Use your imagination for the example I use in that class!) I think it gives students a world of information about looking at behavioral explanations for depression. I introduce the basic concept of learned helplessness, then the negative explanatory style. I'm attaching the PowerPoint slides I made to use when explaining the "IGS" (internal, global, stable) explanatory style. Feel free to use it. The example I usually use to go through the points is, "You applied for a job, but didn't get it. How will you explain to yourself why you didn't get the job?" Beth Benoit Granite State College Plymouth State University New Hampshire On Fri, Oct 30, 2009 at 11:42 AM, Britt, Michael < michael.br...@thepsychfiles.com<mailto:michael.br...@thepsychfiles.com> > wrote: One of my favorite theories (which has now found a home in the "positive psychology" movement) is Seligman's ideas regarding the effects of your explanatory style (especially in your reaction to negative events) on your mood. In the early days he talked about a negative style as one that is Internal ("I'm stupid!"), Stable ("I'll never get this!") and Global ("I'm going to fail at other things as well!"). Recently in his more popular books I see that he has changed these terms to Personal, Persistent and Pervasive. Whatever you call them, I rather like the whole theory and certainly think it's worth teaching at the introductory level. I checked a couple of intro books and to my surprise I found very little in-depth coverage of these ideas. I found explanatory style covered briefly in the Personality chapter, and then in the Stress chapters of two other intro books. Too bad - for such a useful theory. Why do you think it doesn't get more exposure? Too much material to cover in one book I suppose. Michael Michael Britt mich...@thepsychfiles.com<mailto:mich...@thepsychfiles.com> www.thepsychfiles.com<http://www.thepsychfiles.com/> --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ( bsouthe...@frostburg.edu<mailto:bsouthe...@frostburg.edu> ) --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly (bsouthe...@frostburg.edu<mailto:bsouthe...@frostburg.edu>) --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly (bsouthe...@frostburg.edu<mailto:bsouthe...@frostburg.edu>) This e-mail message (including any attachments) is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this message (including any attachments) is strictly prohibited. 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