Graduation  with Leadership Distinction in Research

          The summer of my freshman year I decided to take Elementary Statistics (STAT 201) to lighten my load of classes for the fall. This class was only a month and extremely fast-paced; we were learning new concepts every day. In class, we would utilize statistical analyses to solve problems in that day’s lesson. This required the understanding of hypothesis testing. Hypothesis testing is used to determine whether there is enough evidence in a sample of data to infer that a certain condition is true for the entire population.  It was very tedious work, using various formulas to perform this process, but it taught me how to analyze data. I never thought I would have to apply any of the material I was learning until I decided to go with the pursue Graduation with Leadership distinction in the Research pathway. In STAT 201, I learned how to accurately conduct a hypothesis test and interpret the results based on the numerical data I was given. My exams consisted of conducting the different types of tests (z-test, t-test, etc.) and analyzing what the data would mean to the situation I was given.

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           Outside of the classroom, I was required to use my knowledge of hypothesis testing to understand the results of a proposed situation.  Before we could even began the analysis, hours of data entry were required to have the numerical data we were interested in analyzing.  Spending time with the data allowed me to first develop a question for my abstract, contribute to how we were going to conduct the hypothesis testing, and play a role in the interpretation of the results. I never imagined a class I was required to complete for my degree would ultimately help me in fulfilling my goals in the research pathway.  

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         A usual day of data entry began around 9 A.M. I would go into the research lab and prepare myself for the day ahead. The study I primarily worked on included 100 subjects with 60 variables. I would pull each file, usually 25-50 at a time and work diligently at entering the numerical data under the appropriate column. It was tedious work, but very important. If I ever got off track, I would have to go back through all the files to catch where I made the mistake. Accurate data entry was critical because one incorrect number can greatly impact the results of the study. Some of the data entered was utilized to conduct my tests and propose a question for my abstract.

 

      After printing out the results of my study, with the help of my professor, we talked through what each variable meant in statistical terms. The tests we used for my study were t-tests. I was more interested in figuring out what my numbers meant because I had learned how to conduct these tests in the previous semester. After a few minutes of breaking each concept down I could relate what I had learned in Statistical Reasoning to research. I recalled how to determine whether I would reject or accept a hypothesis using the p-value. If the p-value is less than or equal to the significance level (0.05), the null hypothesis is rejected. Understanding what these terms meant helped me further analyze what I found in when conducting the tests for my abstract. Statistical Reasoning adequately prepared me to conduct and analyze hypothesis testing in research and overall enhance my knowledge of these concepts.

 

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