PMCb1011 Basics in Statistics

Faculty of Social Studies
Spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 7 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
doc. Mgr. Peter Spáč, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Petr Voda, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. Mgr. Peter Spáč, Ph.D.
Department of Political Science – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: doc. Mgr. et Mgr. Vlastimil Havlík, Ph.D.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The course provides and introduction to statistics and statistical research. Its main aim is to equip students with basic understanding of concepts in statistics and with knowledge that allows them to pursue their own quantitative research. The course focuses on a set of topics that include introduction to statistics and statistical terminology, assumptions of data, categorical data, correlation analysis, ANOVA and comparison of means.
Learning outcomes
After completing the course students will understand the basic concepts of statistics and they will gain a solid orientation in terminology of statistics. Given the content of the course, students will be able to analyse data using a proper statistical technique. Students will also develop their skills in using a software specialized for quantitative data analysis. In general, the course will provide the students with necessary and valuable knowledge which they can use to prepare their own quantitative research either in other courses, for their diploma thesis or in their future careers.
Syllabus
  • 1. Introduction to the Course (aim of the course, organization, time schedule, assessment methods, literature)
  • 2. Introduction to Statistics, Variables and Levels of Measurement
  • 3. Introduction to SPSS Software
  • 4. Descriptive Statistics
  • 5. Data Distribution, Normal Distribution
  • 6. Population, Sample, Statistical Inference
  • 7. Categorical Variables
  • 8. Comparison of Means
  • 9. ANOVA
  • 10. Correlation
  • 11. Seminar
Literature
    required literature
  • WHEELAN, Charles. Naked statistics : stripping the dread from the data. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2013, p. 1-14.
  • Field, A. (2017): Discovering Statistics Using SPSS. London: SAGE, pp. 61-86, 131-148, 166-182, 692-700,.
  • GRAVETTER, Frederick J., Larry B. WALLNAU a Lori-Ann B. FORZANO. Essentials of Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences. Cengage Learning, 2017, p. 35-55, 169-196, 267-299.
Teaching methods
Lectures, homework, reading.
Assessment methods
During the course, students will complete six homework assignments (together 40 % of points). The homework will be given to students on a week basis starting from week 6 of the course. In the end of the course, students will have to pass the final examination (60 % of points). The examination will be done on computers and students will be given tasks covering the whole class and its topics. To pass the course, students need to obtain at least 60 % of all the points.
Language of instruction
English
Further Comments
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught: every week.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2025, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/spring2025/PMCb1011