For this assignment, you will undertake an analysis based on a self-designed fictitious study that utilizes statistical methodologies. You will first develop a fictitious problem to examine - it can be anything. For example, maybe you want to look at whether scores on a standardized college placement test (like the SAT) are related to the level of income a person makes 10 years after college; Or, whether those who participate in a Leadership Training program rated as better managers compared to those who do not; Or, whether ones political affiliation is related to gender. These are just a few examples; be creative and think about what piques your interest. You might also address a problem that you may want to look at in future research for a dissertation. You will use either EXCEL or SPSS to conduct the analysis. Your analysis report should include the following components:Describe your research study.State a hypothesis.List and explain the variables you would collect in this study. There must be a minimum of three variables and two must meet the assumptions for a correlational analysis.Create a fictitious data set that you will analyze. The data should have a minimum of 30 cases, but not more than 50 cases.Conduct a descriptive data analysis that includes the following:a measure of central tendencya measure of dispersionat least one graphBriefly interpret the descriptive data analysis.Conduct the appropriate statistical test that will answer your hypothesis. It must be a statistical test covered in this course such as regression analysis, single t-test, independent t-test, cross-tabulations, Chi-square, or One-Way ANOVA. Explain your justification for using the test based on the type of data and the level of measurement that the data lends to for the statistical analysis.Report and interpret your findings. Use APA style and include a statement about whether you reject or fail to reject the null hypothesis.Copy and paste your Excel or SPSS data output and place it in an appendix.Remember, the goal of this project is to show what you have learned in the course. Therefore, this project becomes a cumulative learning project where you can demonstrate what you have learned through all the previous assignments, readings and video presentations that you have watched.Length: 12-15 pages not including title and reference pagesReferences: Minimum of 5 scholarly resources.

Find a news article on the Internet that discusses correlational research. For instance, look at the following example that I found after a basic Google News search: Vigorous Exercise Linked With Better Grades Note that the title uses the word "linked" and not "caused" because correlational research can only investigate patterns and tendencies, not causal relationships. In my article, research is discussed in which students who exercised vigorously tended to get better grades. Importantly, it is not necessarily the case that exercise is causing higher grades for these students. Rather, it's possible that a third variable, such as personality, is causing both. For instance, students who are more conscientious may be more likely to exercise vigorously, and conscientious students may also be more likely to study hard and thus get better grades. For this discussion assignment, post a link to your article and provide a very brief summary of the correlational findings. Be sure to indicate what two variables are correlated, whether it is a positive or a negative correlation, and whether you think any third variable(s) may be linked to the other two. Finally, discuss any other thoughts you have about the study. For instance, do you feel the author does a good job of avoiding claims about causality, given the correlational nature of the research? Are you surprised by the findings of the research? Do you feel the research is reliable and valid, as discussed by the author? You don't have to answer each of these questions.