PsychSim 5: Hunger & the Fat Rat

Don't forget to complete that PsychSim, Hunger and the Fat Rat! You'll be exploring the role of the hypothalamus in regulating the eating habits and body weight of your virtual "rats.

Math Invades Psychology Class




Frequency Histogram for Composite Scores on Final Exam

 Students tend to have strong feelings about mathematics...so when the topic comes up in AP Psych I usually get a "love it" or "hate it" reaction from students. Regardless of one's emotional response to math, however, it is helpful to know some basic statistical concepts if you're trying to make sense of some things in psychology, particularly test score interpretation (e.g. in intelligence and personality testing).

So, in addition to the practice on basic descriptive statistics students are completing for tomorrow (to access the accompanying PsychSim Module for this WS, click here), we've been using some meaningful examples of score distributions to become more comfortable with the topic. Particularly, we've been examining performance data from our 1st Semester final (which, as the frequency histogram above illustrates, distribute rather normally).

However, if you're still feeling confused about z-scores, the normal curve, percentile ranks, and standard deviation, there are a number of great websites out there to give you some guidance (unfortunately, our text does not go into a great amount of detail about these statistical concepts). Consider consulting any of these for review:

• A Beginner's Guide to Descriptive Statistics (includes examples and procedure for calculating standard deviation).
• Online calculator for descriptive stats (can copy & paste data and it will give you the standard deviation, among other measures)
• Handy, printable guide to the Normal Curve & Z-scores
• Statistics Tutorial: Standard Normal Distribution (& z-scores)

If you come across any other sites that you feel would be helpful to a beginning psych student, please include them in the comments section. I'd love to add them to my list.

PsychSim: Neural Messages

Greeting, AP Psychology students! On Tuesday this week we will be making the trip across the hall to the computer lab to complete a PsychSim on Neural Messaging.

Click on the above link, then read through the module, using the "previous" and "next" buttons to navigate while finding answers to the questions on your accompanying worksheet.

You will get a printed copy in class, but if you lose the worksheet or were absent, here's link to another copy.

This will be due at the beginning of class on Wednesday, September 22.

Descriptive Statistics PsychSim

For those looking for the link to the PsychSim module on Descriptive Statistics, here you go: PsychSim 5. Click on "Descriptive Statistics" to launch the module.

Also, if you are looking for Standard Deviation calculators online (because you have a bunch of data laying around that needs analyzing), there are plenty available. Calculating standard deviation is one of those mathematical tasks that proves calculators are your friends, of course.

You can just do a Google Search for "Standard Deviation Calculator" but my favorite is Statiscope because you can watch the distribution graph change as each score is added.

PsychSim: Visual Illusions

If you were gone last week Friday, you may have missed the instructions for the PsychSim Visual Illusions, which I collected today.

Just as a reminder, you can access the module by clicking here OR by heading over to the link for "PsychSim 4.0" found on the left hand menu bar in our "Commonly Used Course Links" widget. Choose the module "Visual Illusions" from the menu.

Here's the link for the accompanying worksheet, as well. Deer hunters and Floridians will need to get this to me when you return on Monday.

Neural Communication PsychSim

Students,

Well, folks, since I last saw you there has been a negative turn of events in my life. :( Nothing too tragic, but it will prevent me from being with you today in class. Over the past weekend I...

1. Apparently chipped a tooth... one of my molars. ARGH! and...
2. Developed an unpleasant cold.

Hopefully things start looking up for me soon! But this means I will be spending Monday hoping to get in at my dentist's and trying to recover from the cold, which presently has me coughing up a storm.

However, it turns out that, of all the days I should have to be gone, Monday is not a bad choice. This is because the main task of the day was to head to the computer lab and complete a PsychSim on Neural Messages.

Here are the directions:

1. Obtain the worksheet from my substitute. Or, if you've lost yours, click here to print another.
2. Go to PsychSim 4.o: Neural Messages. When you get to the menu screen, click on "Neural Messages". This is an online module that gives you an introduction to the smallest parts of the nervous system: neurons!
3. Proceed through the module by clicking "next" (on the bottom of your screen) to advance to the next part. Use the information provided to complete the worksheet.
4. If you finish before the end of the hour, you can give the worksheet to the sub. Otherwise, I'll expect to get it from you in class tomorrow.

Good luck!

P.S. Also, don't forget to vote on the final version of our Psych Club t-shirts (see post below).