STA 210B/ENV 251
Statistics and Data Analysis for the Biological Sciences

Objective: To find patterns in survey data by way of graphical exploratory data analysis.

Material: Use the JMP file in Webout 3. The other file in Webout 3 contains the survey instrument used to collect data.

Background: Webout 2 contains a press report on a study which examined Internet usage and its possible impact on psychological well-being. Our survey is miniature mock-up of the questionnaire used in the study. Our survey will not be able to shed light upon the question of whether Internet usage causes an increase in loneliness, but we can search for patterns which may be consistent with that and other causal hypotheses.

Main Question: Is there a relationship between loneliness and Internet use or attitude toward the Internet?

Steps:
1. Create a new column for a Loneliness composite, and compute that composite. See JMP Chapter 3. We discussed this composite in lecture. Some variables need to be reverse-coded so as to indicate degrees of loneliness. After reverse-coding, sum the variable to form composite.

2.  Combine the variables Internet 1, 2 and 3, into a composite which reflects positive attitude toward Internet usage. Some variables may need to be reverse-coded. Reasonable people may disagree about just how to do this.

3. Explore the data. Generate graphics which show how the Loneliness composite fits the other variables. Use Loneliness as the explanatory variable for other numerical variables as outcomes, including the Internet composite. Use Loneliness as a response variable for the other categorical variables. Note as interesting the graphics where there is strong association. If time permits, explore how Internet Attitude (Step 2) correlates graphically with other variables, including the Loneliness composite.

Report:
Explain how you combined variables to form the composites. Indicate which variables are categorical or numerical. Print out three or four interesting graphics, the ones showing strongest associations. For each graphic, write a one- or two-sentence caption, explaining what one might gather from the graphic, what it might mean.

Staple sheets together, and give it to Courtney before you leave the lab.

This should take only 50 minutes. If you need more time, you are probably working too hard. Grading will be generous and based mostly on having done something. Don't worry, have fun. You will have plenty of time to refine your data analytic skills throughout the course. This is just the beginning.