SRMP: assignment 1

Part 1/2 (JASP)

Open Assignment1_data. These are (simulated) data from an experiment measuring emotional and nociceptive responses to different types of music. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions (Music): listening to 15 minutes of a selection of music from either the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, or U2. After the listening period, participants were asked if they had a headache (Headache; Yes/No) and they were also asked to rate how nauseuous they felt on a scale of 0-100 (Queasy). The researchers expected that Music (IV) would have an effect on these two DVs. Take a good look at the data file before you begin answering the questions!

  1. Use an appropriate descriptive/graphical technique to visualize the impact of Music condition on Headache (include this in your report) and interpret the output. (3 points)
  2. Use a suitable inferential technique to test for effects. Report the relevant output and offer your conclusions. (3 points)
  3. Now, consider the Queasy data. Visualize these and give a preliminary interpretation. (3 points)
  4. Run an appropriate inferential statistical test, report all relevant output, and offer your conclusions on the effects of Music on Queasy. (4 points)

Part 2/2 (conceptual)

Dr. Metheny is interested in whether regularly listening to smooth jazz music can reduce exam stress. A week before an exam, he randomly assigns student participants to a nightly listening programme of smooth jazz, or a control condition where they simply follow their established study habits. The dependent variable is the difference between pre-study exam stress and exam stress reported on the morning of the exam, with stress originally measured on a 0 – 100 scale (pre- minus post-, meaning positive difference scores = stress reduction relative to baseline). Metheny finds a significant reduction (p <.05) and reports that listening to smooth jazz music can reduce study stress.

  1. What is the most obvious problem you can find in Metheny’s conclusion? (2 points)
  2. How would you address this problem in a replication study? (2 points)