Eh, who needs it?

[Bouncy Ball]

I went to class tonight and we had to present the introduction to our thesis. It was fairly formal and the professor and other students could ask you questions about it once you were done presenting.

One woman got up and when she got to the data analysis section, she looked up at us and said in a really perky voice "and I don't really need any statistics, so I'm not doing that!"

We laughed, because I think everyone thought she was kidding. I know I did. I expected her to say "just kidding, my data analysis will consist of..." but she didn't.

The professor looked sort of stunned and asked her why she doesn't "need" any statistics and she said "well this is just something I'm doing for myself, so I don't see the need to crunch any numbers or use statistics and stuff!" She was still sort of smiling and I couldn't believe this.

The professor calmly and carefully explained that for the purposes of her thesis, she needed to do some statistical analysis on the data she obtained from her study. Then he suggested some analyses she could do, considering the design of her study. Then he backed up and confessed he was confused as to her design. She said she didn't understand. He asked her what kind of design it was, pre-test/post-test, etc etc. And she still said she wasn't sure. Then she mumbled "I didn't really think I needed to do that part."

It went downhill from there. It was so painful I tuned out the rest because I was so embarrassed for her. The professor isn't a mean guy, but he doesn't mince words and he told her, still standing up there, "this is not acceptable." He gave it back to her.

She sat down and everyone was silent. This is for a master's thesis and she didn't think she needed to mention the design of her study or do any data analysis. Yikes. :wtf:

But I have to say, if she could bottle that happy, clueless attitude she had when she first chirped "I don't really need any statistics, so I'm not doing that!" she'd make a fortune.

[bridgit]

1. sounds like a republican 'scientist' = no stats...

she's tailor made for a republican n.i.h.

[MissB]

4. Yes. My exact thoughts.

She sounded like a Republican, incapable of analysis.

[mitchtv]

2. Probably can't do suggestive cheerleading either

What's a girl to do?

[Rabrrrrrr]

3. And that's just the type of person the new republican education

machine will start churning out once they have their way.

Maybe she can get a job doing research and analysis for Ann Coulter.

[Bouncy Ball]

7. START churning out?

I wasn't going to bring politics into this because this rule is certainly not without exception, but by far the most intelligent people in that class who are great critical thinkers, really have their shit together----all liberal.

Coincidence?

[Rabrrrrrr]

9. Not a coincidence at all!

But why is someone with your intelligent and streamlined, supercomputer-like brain doing in a class with people who are so obviously your inferiors?

:-)

:hi:

[Bouncy Ball]

11. BWA!

Pssshaw. No way.

It's a university with a great program for my Master's and there are about three people in that class like that and.....well......they aren't going to make it to the end of the program. I'd lay money on that. If you can't achieve mastery level (duh) work in these courses, you fail. So it's either an A or an F.

There was another who argued with the professor about her study design and SHE WAS WRONG. Finally a few members of the class tried to help her by re-stating what the professor was trying to say and she was STILL clueless and insisting it was a correlational study and it wasn't!!! We only studied this stuff all freaking semester, damn.

[MissB]

10. No coincidence at all.

In my not-so-humble-opinion.

I don't mean to imply that all liberals are brilliant. Our world-view just allows for a helluva lot more exploration.

[Orangepeel]

13. not all liberals are critical thinkers...

but most critical thinkers are liberal. It's part and parcel of not having a black-and-white world view.

[MissB]

20. That is what I was trying to say.

But my critical thinking skills are rather numb tonight. Must be the vodka. :toast:

[Orangepeel]

27. oh, I understood. I was just agreeing.

I should have said that upfront.

:toast:

[sundog]

5. can I just say I love your sig

that's all :hi:

eek! that horrible silence x(

[Bouncy Ball]

8. Thank you, don't you just LOVE him???

He's not mine, unfortunately, but when I saw that picture somewhere on DU the other day, I just fell in love with his soulful eyes. I want to hug that puppy.

[MissB]

14. He looks like a seal pup.

:shrug: It must be the eyes.

[bloom]

6. maybe radio ads

:shrug:

[Elidor]

12. It amazes me, some of the people who make it into graduate school

And what amazes me even more is how many of them think that graduate school is the place to start slacking off.

That puppy is priceless. Eyes like a baby seal.

[Bouncy Ball]

15. THAT'S what he reminds me of, thank you!

Exactly like a baby seal!

Yeah, there are a few in there who just clearly aren't going to make it. She was one of the worst.

Then there's the other end of the spectrum--one woman has already practically written a dissertation and has started her study. Her presentation took FORTY FIVE MINUTES. When she started in on the data from her "trial study" (!!!!!), the professor stopped her. He reminded her that this was just supposed to be the introduction and the outline of the study we PLAN on doing in the next 12 months. She presented him with five binders and a multi-media presentation.

He seemed a bit annoyed.
:rofl:

[Rabrrrrrr]

16. Did someone say baby seal?

[Bouncy Ball]

19. WOOK AT DA WIDDLE BABY!

(Sorry. Don't know what came over me.)

[Left Is Write]

17. How did this woman get into a graduate program??

[Bouncy Ball]

21. No idea.

I was wondering that myself.

[sharonking21]

18. So what discipline

is this in? (Your class or your master's research?)

[Bouncy Ball]

23. The class is a statistics/research class.

All the basics about good research, study designs, descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. I thought it sounded dry as hell before it started in January, but I've been pleasantly suprised at how interesting it's been. Go ahead, ask me about chi squares. No, don't, the class is over and my brain is fried! LOL!

[sharonking21]

25. Ye Gods!

Was she even "there?"

I remember my first such class fondly. I had already taken statistics (some) but not anything on research design, experimental methods, survey design, history or philosophy of science etc and the one I took rolled all these into one big lallapalooza. I remember that my final was an essay test(although we had research design projects too) and the question was: "What is science? Defend psychology as a science." I wrote 2 1/2 blue books full. My professor jokingly chastised me for writing so much to explain. I told him, "Well, then, don't ask questions like "Define the meaning of life."

[Bouncy Ball]

26. What is science?

LOL. Yeah how can you answer that in short form? Unless it's just a textbook definition, nothing more.

[sharonking21]

28. I always wanted a needlepoint

to frame containing the formula for a harmonic mean (I just remember it's pretty--don't actually remember the formula). I would have put it up over my mantel, kinda like "Home Sweet Home" except for egghead research macademia nuts.

I also always thought that Chi Square and the Degrees of Freedom would make a great title for a rock band of the 70s.

[Bouncy Ball]

29. LOL! Oh it really would!

When I would get bored reading my text, or start falling asleep, I'd read it in a "porn star voice"--really breathy and sultry and stuff.

It would crack me up.

But now I forever have some statistical terms mixed up in my mind with porn.

[sharonking21]

30. That should make it

rather interesting to say the least! Gives a new meaning to deviation and variation.

[Bouncy Ball]

31. Yep! Some parts were quite humorous in the porney voice!

It kept me awake anyway.

[ronnykmarshall]

22. No, it's "FEH! Who needs it?"

Sounds like homegirl wants everyone to do the work for HER!

[Bouncy Ball]

24. Homegirl was CLUELESS.

But seriously, God, we laughed.

"I just decided not to do it! Tee hee!"