There is no assigned reading for this lecture
- You will be expected to be able to perform the skills outlined below on an example on the test
- We will work through an example set of studies in class that is meant to develop these skills
Interpret simple bar and scatterplot graphs and relate them to experimental design
- What sort of data go in bar graphs versus scatterplot graphs?
- discrete (categorical or integer) versus continuous variables (measured as real number)
- manipulative (one or a few factors controlled to be present at particular levels) versus mensurative studies (no control of factor level, but the level of each is measured for each given data point)
- problems with each type of data
- What are dependent and independent variables, and where are these found on graphs?
- Wikipedia's definition is decent: "in an experiment, the dependent variable is the event studied and expected to change when the independent variable is changed."
Recognize interactions between experimental factors, and how to interpret results when they occur
- Interactions mean that the effect of one factor depends on the presence/absence (or level) of another factor
- If an interaction is present, you cannot state the effects of one factor without referring to the other factor
Integrate the results of multiple experiments that may appear at first to give different conclusions
- check the type of experiment run and the data collected
- understand what was manipulated and what was measured
- ask whether the experiments were simple or meant to test for interactions
|
