PSYC40005: Advanced Design and Data Analysis
Semester 1, 2024
Assignment 2
Preliminary steps:
1. Download and unzip “Assignment-2-SPSS-Amos.zip” from Canvas.
2. Open the file “assignment2.sav” in SPSS.
3. Create your unique sample from this file with the syntax commands (being careful to include that final full stop):
USE ALL.
SET SEED [enter your student number here and delete the brackets, but don’t delete the full stop].
SHOW SEED.
SAMPLE 350 from 1250.
EXECUTE .
The seed number shown in the output should be the student number you entered. We have provided a pre-populated syntax file that you can complete.
4. Save this version of the file for your analysis (by using the Save As… command on the pulldown File tab).
5. Carefully read the Module on our Canvas website called “Using myUniApps”
(which is under “Support for Statistical Software”).
The project, and criteria for marking:
The variables are named q1 to q30 (outlined at the end of this document), and are self- rating items of behavioural tendencies and preferences.
- PART 1 – 33% of marks: Conduct an exploratory factor analysis, reach a preferred model, and interpret the results.
- PART 2 – 45% of marks: Using the EFA you did in PART 1 as a guide, use Amos to run a confirmatory factor analysis on a parsimonious factor structure for the data. Describe the fit of the model and show the diagram. After testing the fit of your original model, you should discuss what the outcome would be of engaging in one round of model re-specification and re-fitting, but for the purposes of this assignment you should not engage in multiple rounds of model re-specification and re-fitting.
- PART 3 – 16% of marks (maximum of 250 words for this part): Reflect on what you’ve just done in PART 1 and PART 2, and answer each of the following questions separately:
- 3(a) To what extent do you think your model is ‘confirmed’?
- 3(b) To what extent do you think your model is ‘overfit’?
- 3(c) Do you think your findings would replicate if we took a new sample? Why/why not?
- For each question in PART 3, make sure to demonstrate your understanding of the terms highlighted in bold. Remember to back up any assertions with clear reasoning and/or evidence, and make clear reference to “your model” and “your findings” in your response.
- PART 4 - 6% of marks (maximum of 90 words for this part): Imagine you show your model from Part 2 to a friend. Your friend creates a new model and tests it on the same data. Her model has more parameters than yours and has zero degrees of freedom and a Chi-Square of zero. Your friend says to you “My model fits better than yours! Therefore, my model is more useful than yours” . Write a brief reply to explain to your friend why she is wrong. In your reply, include some reference to your own model from Part 2.
Within each Part a small number of marks are devoted to “Writing the report in appropriate style”, and this amounts to 10% of marks in total. Style includes formatting as well as writing style, spelling, grammar, diagram formatting, APA style formatting, and so on.
The core content for the assignment is covered in Lecture 4 Exploratory Factor Analysis, Lecture 5 Confirmatory Factor Analysis, and (to an extent) Lecture 6 Path Analysis. You should also consider the material from the associated Lab Classes. You should write your assignment based on the approaches and techniques taught in Lectures and Lab Classes in this subject. You can get a high H1 on the assignment without going beyond the course materials. However, in relation to some issues a small number of bonus marks are on offer for appropriately going above and beyond the lecture (e.g. following up on a reading mentioned in the lecture, citing some relevant point that goes beyond what was covered in the lecture). This is mostly relevant in relation to the issues offit statistics and sample size.
Within each Part, 90% of the marks are devoted to your coverage of various issues raised in the aforementioned Lectures and their associated Lab Classes. Issues that should definitely be considered in at least one Part include: introducing the reader to your data, factorability of your data, rotation, selection of the number of factors, sample size, significance testing, distributional assumptions, identification, methods of estimation, assessment of global fit, assessment of local fit, bootstrapping, results tabulation, model specification and re-specification, interpretation of results. You don’t need to consider the issues in that order. You may consider other issues too, and the list above should not be regarded as a complete ‘checklist’ of appropriate content.
Questions about the assignment can be made on the Assignment 2 discussion board, and we will maintain a listing in the header of that discussion board called “README ASSIGNMENT 2”, which will contain a list of any posts we consider likely to prove useful for the assignment. We will also maintain an errata section in the Canvas module for Assignment 2.
Submission details:
This assignment needs to be submitted as a formal written document in Word format (.doc or .docx). If including figures in your report, you are welcome to paste them into the body of your assignment from either SPSS or Amos, though appropriate figure numbering and titles in APA style should be included. All tables included in the body of your assignment should be APA formatted rather than pasted directly from a program. It’s highly recommended that you include any other output that's directly relevant to your answers in an Appendix. SPSS syntax that was used to run these analyses should not appear in the main body of your assignment; however, it’s highly recommended that you include in an Appendix any SPSS syntax that you used to run analyses (if you used SPSS syntax at all).
The word count limit for this assignment is 1500 words (title, headings, tables, figures, captions for tables and figures, references, and appendices do not count – for the full list of word count exclusions and word count policy, see:
https://psychologicalsciences.unimelb.edu.au/study/current-students/msps-student- manual-fourth-year and the section “Word Count Policy and Penalties for Exceeding Word Limits”)
Due Date: Before 8:00am, Wednesday 24 April 2024
Description of survey items
Items were rated on an 8-point scale: 1 [strongly disagree] thru 8 [strongly agree].
1. Would enjoy water skiing.
2. When overjoyed cannot stop from going overboard.
3. Do things when happy that cause problems.
4. Have trouble controlling my impulses.
5. Often get involved in things I later wish I could get out of.
6. Am a cautious person.
7. Usually make up my mind through careful reasoning.
8. Sometimes just ignore all little jobs.
9. Finish what I start.
10. Often make matters worse because I act without thinking when I am upset. 11. Would enjoy fast driving.
12. Usually think carefully before doing anything.
13. Would like to go scuba diving.
14. Am a productive person who always gets the job done.
15. When happy do things that can have bad consequences.
16. Tend to give up easily.
17. Would enjoy parachute jumping.
18. When in great mood get into situations that cause problems.
19. When upset often act without thinking.
20. Tend to lose control when I am in a great mood.
21. Once I start a project I finish it.
22. Have a reserved and cautious attitude toward life.
23. Like to learn to fly an airplane.
24. In an argument often say things that I later regret.
25. Good about pacing myself to get things done on time.
26. When rejected often say things I later regret.
27. When happy do things with bad consequences.
28. Consider all advantages and disadvantages before deciding.
29. Do not like to start projects until I know how to proceed.
30. Would enjoy the sensation of skiing very fast.