1) DISCUSSION POST Do you have free will? Or does your brain chemistry make decisions for you? This week you’re learning about the electrochemical reactions that happen every time you think, feel, sense, or act. So does that mean you are not in charge? Does body chemistry direct your choices and eliminate your control? Watch the TED-Ed video How Does Caffeine Keep Us Awake? that explains the specific ways caffeine affects your mood, alertness, and performance, all through your nervous system.  Then, write a post offering your opinion: Free will, or brain chemistry? Or is there some way to reconcile the two? Support your post with information from the video or the weekly Webtext.  2) PEER REVIEW #2 (CLAIRE) I believe my brain chemistry makes the decisions for me, but my free will makes sure those decisions will positively affect my life. Does that make my answer.. both? I have ADHD, so my brain chemistry isn't balanced to begin with; this means my immediate reactions are always going to be fueled by my brain chemistry. Over the years, I've learned techniques to curb the knee-jerk reactions to other people's comments, decisions, and many situations that could arise at any given time; this ensures I don't say or do anything that will have a negative impact on my career or relationships. For example, if I see a controversial news article on social media, you can bet I will read the article and get all of the juicy gossip from the comments section. When I see someone's opinion that I don't necessarily agree with, my first reaction is to type up a response that goes against anything someone has said. However, my free will & ability to think ahead keeps me from ever posting the comment, because as a government employee I know I am held to a certain standard. It also allows me to use the knowledge I've gained thus far: whether or not I post my views, my life isn't going to be genuinely and permanently affected. What will I gain from "winning" an argument on Facebook? Why would I be so fixated on changing someone's opinion, especially if I don't hold my current views for the rest of my life? If I'm actually wrong in my opinion, and I change what someone else believes to align with myself, I've potentially ruined something for that person.  I believe that by letting both your brain chemistry and your free will work together, you become the best version of yourself. Sometimes, my knee-jerk reactions (again, fueled by my brain chemistry) are genuinely the best reactions to certain situations. Other times, my free will & forward thinking are what will save the day. Using both has positively impacted me as a daughter, sister, mother, friend, and employee. 3) PEER REVIEW #2 (NANCY) Hello Everyone,  At times I feel like I have free will on certain days. I have to say that because I was not always like that. But i remember when my brain chemistry used to make decisions for me. I used to drink a lot of coffee and eat chocolate. Boy oh boy do I love love love chocolate. Well, it came a time where I couldn't live without it. I was beginning to feel the withdrawal that was happening to my body and that was not a good feeling. I would think about caffeine until my body was able to consume it. I would literally go to the store and I would alway come back with coffee in my hand, As for the chocolates, I always have to hide a bar away from everyone at my house. If I happened to go to the closet and found out that someone had ate my chocolate I would feel very sad and depress. Yessss, it was that bad. I knew that I had to get myself out of the addiction that I was deeply in. It was not a good feeling to go through the body withdrawal and feel the headaches i used to feel ever so often. It was a very had task to get where I am today. Now i can honestly say that I have free will, but let me tell you, it was not always like that! for me. 

This homework assignment is designed to apply the knowledge and skills you have learned so far about 1). navigating the GSS database, 2). operationalizing concepts using quantitative measures from secondary survey sources, 3). selecting appropriate independent and dependent variables, 4). creating and analyzing crosstabs, and 5). testing hypotheses and reporting statistical findings.Homework Prompt:For this assignment, you will be using survey data from the GSS database to analyze a social issue or phenomenon that you are interested in. Selecting variables from the GSS, you will formulate and test a hypothesis that examines the relationship between two variables, an independent and dependent variable. You will also conduct a bivariate statistical analysis of your variables to test your hypothesis.Picking a topic:The GSS captures a wide range of societal attitudes, behaviors, and attributes around topics including race relations, sexual behavior, confidence in institutions, climate change, participation in religion, support for immigration, perceptions of police violence, rights to abortion, marijuana use, etc. You should spend some time exploring the different variables within the database to familiarize yourself with the various topics, issues, and questions you could explore.Picking variables:You will need to pick at least ONE dependent variable and ONE independent variable. Think carefully about how you conceptualize your topic using the dependent variable. What does your dependent variable “represent”? How can your dependent variable be an indicator to measure the dimension of your topic?For example, if you are interested in studying racism, one of your indicators of racist or prejudicial beliefs could be measured using the variable RACMAR: “Do you think there should be laws against marriages between Negros/blacks/African-Americans and whites?” If respondents answer “yes” to this statement, this would be an indicator of racial prejudice.If you were studying gender equality, you would need to find a variable to conceptualize and measure equality. You could use the variable FEHELP: “Do you strongly agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree that it is more important for a wife to help her husband’s career than to have on herself?” If respondents strongly agree or agree with this statement, this would be a measure of gender inequality.Your independent variable can be a demographic or background variable (i.e. race, class, gender, marital status, political affiliation, etc.) or an attitudinal or behavior variable that you think is related to the dependent variable you selected.Remember, the GSS does not always ask the same questions each year. Be mindful that both your dependent and independent variables have been asked during the same year(s). You can do this by controlling for the year. [See GSS Guideline Handout for instructions on how to select a particular year or timeframe.}Instructions:Please write a thoughtful paper using paragraphs which includes the following sectionsIntroductiono Briefly describe your social issue or topic in an interesting way.o What is compelling about your issue or topic? What social problem or issue exists that you want to take a closer look at?o What is your research question?o Suggestion: “What is the relationship between [variable X] and [variable Y]?” or“Does X vary by Y?”o Clearly state your (strong) hypothesis – what do you think is the relationship between yourtwo variables? Why do you think this relationship exists?Datao Describe your independent and dependent variables by including the followinginformation:o Explain how this variable operationalizes your topic and research question. How dothey represent/measure/conceptualize your variable? How are they an indicator of a specific concept (i.e. race, class, gender, prejudice, civic engagement, attitude about gun control, etc.)?o GSS variable code nameo Exact wording of the survey questiono List of attributeso Level of measurement (i.e nominal, ordinal, etc.)[Consider having a paragraph that describes your IV and another paragraph describing your DV.]Results and Discussiono Using your IV and DV, create a bivariate cross-tabulation table.o Provide a “cleaned-up” table; do not simply “copy and paste” the GSS-website table. o Be sure to include: a title of the table, clearly labeled IV and DV variable, theattributes of each variable, percentages and number of responses in each cell, missing or invalid cases, and the source of the table. [See Babbie Chapter 14 for instructions on how to make a contingency table (p. 454).]o Provide a detailed analysis of your cross-tabulation table.o What patterns do you see between the variables? How do the dependent variablevalues change because of your independent variable? What trends do you see in thecells?o If table cells have fewer than 30 respondents, you do not have enough data togeneralize about that group, and you should state this in your analysis.o Was your hypothesis supported – why or why not? [Hint: Do you see at least a 10%difference across the columns?]Your response, which includes your table, should be 2-3 double-spaced pages (12-point, Times New Roman font, 1-inch margins)." i will provide all lecture and videos help do this homework"