Competition - post a photo you've taken of nature >>

Is there any need for me to buy a book about SPSS?

In my second year of studying Psychology, I feel like things going well however I am aiming for higher grades this year (been getting B/60% but I'm aiming for a first at the end).

I've been sat in my lectures, understanding bits and pieces of SPSS, I can perform the analysis with a walk-through but I feel like I should try really understanding why we carry out the analysis like we do.
I'm hoping to do a Doctorate later in my 20's to become a qualified Psychologist so I wanting to know whether buying a book and reading into the statistical tests and etc would ultimately be useful in the long term (as for example a DClinPsy would involve more research as would the experience I have to gain beforehand).

Some opinions would be appreciated :smile:

(edited 5 years ago)

Reply 1

BPBPBPBP

I'm a beginner really, in 2nd year of HND Applied Psy. I'm not convinced that throwing yourself into the ins and outs of statistical tests is going to improve you as a psychologist. Depends on what specialisation you're interested in though, obviously really. My bet is that digging into mathematial details will not improve your grades. Pushing outwards, expanding your knowledge and intersests and imagination and creativity. That's what'll get you better marks. Could be wrong though.

Reply 2

Reality Check

Original post by CuriousShinigami

No-one knows how to use SPSS :smile:

I think you're looking at this the wrong way. SPSS is a tool in many ways. You use your computer every day without knowing exactly how the microprocessor works. You probably need to think of SPSS in the same way - use the maths, trust the maths, but don't feel you need to be a doctoral level statistician about it. By all means try to understand the statistical tests you're using which are specific to your study or research, but don't try to 'learn' SPSS as a concept - it's totally futile.

Reply 3

CuriousShinigami

Original post by BPBPBPBP

I just don't enjoy not really getting what they are talking about sometimes in lectures.. don't expect myself to understand the extremely mathematical side of it.. but some things pop up when I'm looking at MANOVA, ANOVA.... They might go on about negative scoring, eigenvalues.. I'd feel better understanding it a little (the context) rather than just remembering to look at eigenvalues and neg score. Like if I know why we negative score.. then I'd kind of get explaining it - I'm doing a presentation where I talk about the validity of a questionnaire.

Original post by Reality Check

No-one knows how to use SPSS :smile:

I do trust the maths.. well mostly.. I sometimes see all these numbers and I'm not sure whether they are even right :3
Fair enough, yeah spss as a tool is far too complicated.. referring to just grasping relevant concepts really ^ I give examples of that above :biggrin:

Thank you guys :five:

Reply 4

Reality Check

Original post by CuriousShinigami

Thank you guys :five:

You're welcome :smile:

There are people (I've worked with several) who really want to get down and dirty with SPSS and understand the maths on a 'maths-y' level. For others, they're happy to just accept that it works without having to know all the nuts and bolts. I think, within reason, both of these approaches are valid. :smile:

Reply 5

BPBPBPBP

The way I look at the various statistical things are like my television and microwave and stuff. I have no idea of the technical inner workings, but it doesn't stop me using them. I know their interface, I know their input and output as it were. I know, with the TV, which buttons to turn it on etc., and I know what I'm going to get out of it, what I'm using it for, what it's good for, what to expect, it's point. The internal workings are left to someone else and are irrelevant to me. That's the way to deal with stats stuff IMO.

When you do an experiement, it provides data. You're generally asking a question, and the data kind of answers it. But nothing's ever black or white. The data doesn't really answer it. Running it through a stats test turns it more into an answer. You need to run the data through some stat test to make it more meaningful. There's a bunch of intracacies/rules which say which test etc., just follow the rules, let the stats test do its thing, and get its output.