Mathematical Statistics in Psychology

Students analyse a scientific publication of a quantitative psychological research, evaluating the research aim, variables, statistical analysis methods used, presentation and interpretation of results, and the relevance of conclusions to the obtained results. Students justify the appropriateness of the choice of statistical methods to the research question, data type and analysis conditions.

The results of the work are structured in a presentation and presented in class. The presentation is submitted in e-studies by the deadline specified in the course.

The work is assessed on a 10-point scale.

Assessment criterionMaximum pointsBibliographic information of the publication – correctly indicated full reference to the publication and DOI and/or PMID, if available0.5Description of the research aim – the research aim and/or research question is precisely identified and clearly described1.0Description of variables – correctly identified and described variables analysed in the study, their role and, if applicable, measurement scales1.0Identification of statistical methods – correctly identified statistical analysis methods used, tests, coefficients and other relevant statistical indicators1.5Evaluation of the choice of statistical methods – justified evaluation of the relevance of methods to the research aim, design, type of variables and data2.0Interpretation of statistical significance – correctly interpreted p-values and statistical significance in the context of the results of a particular study1.5Evaluation of tables and graphical representations – evaluated their relevance, informativeness and clarity0.5Evaluation of results and conclusions – critical evaluation of the interpretation of results and the relevance of conclusions to the research aim and obtained results1.5Quality of presentation – presentation is logically structured, clear, academically correct and understandable0.5Total10.0

The work in practical classes includes 7 practical works. Each practical work is assessed on a 10-point scale. The assessments of all seven practical works are summed up and their arithmetic mean is calculated. The obtained average assessment forms the total assessment of practical works on a 10-point scale.

1. Data input, coding and initial processing.
2. Determination of data types and measurement scales.
3. Calculation of descriptive statistics indicators.
4. Formation and evaluation of empirical distributions.
5. Creation and interpretation of data graphic representations.
6. Selection of statistical analysis methods and calculation.
7. Interpretation of statistical analysis results and formulation of conclusions.

The final test assesses students' knowledge of basic concepts of mathematical statistics, data types, measurement scales, descriptive statistics, population and sample, statistical hypothesis testing, p-value and statistical significance, and the ability to interpret the results of statistical analysis in the context of psychological research.

The test consists of 25 questions divided into 5 thematic blocks. Each thematic block contains 5 questions:

1. Basic concepts of mathematical statistics and their relevance to psychological research.
2. Data types, measurement scales, and data preparation principles.
3. Descriptive statistics, empirical distributions, and graphical data representation.
4. Population, sample, representativeness, and sampling principles.
5. Statistical hypotheses, p-value, statistical significance, and results interpretation.

Each correctly answered question is worth 1 point. The maximum score is 25 points. The obtained score is converted into a grade on a 10-point scale. The test assessment is calculated automatically in the e-learning environment according to the number of correctly answered questions.