Running Head: DATA ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION

Data Analysis and Presentation - S.W. Research 4810

Submitted by: Shamekia Schoffner
December 7, 2014

DATA ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION

Data and Methods

Data
Data were collected from the Monitoring the Future (MTF) on Grade Point Average (GPA) and
Marijuana use among teens. According to Monitoring the Future, it is reported there has been a
steady increase in marijuana use over the past few years. Additionally, attitudes towards
marijuana being considered risky among teens has changed as well. One theory for the
explained increases in marijuana include the substantial number of states that have passed
medical marijuana laws (NA, 2013).
The study was designed to determine if factors such as ones gender, where one grew up and
marijuana usage had any significant associations. The data set sample was comprised of n = 1500
or 94.1% participants. The subjects selected are part of a longitudinal study.

Purpose of Study
The current study employs secondary data analysis to examine substance abuse associations as it
relates to GPA and marijuana among teens.
Specifically, the following three questions were examined: 1. Is there a significant association
between GPA and marijuana? 2. Is there a significant relationship between gender and where
one lived? 3. Is there a relationship between gender and how many times one have used
marijuana?

DATA ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION

Data Analysis Planning

Research Questions, null and alternative hypotheses, and Data Analysis Plan

Chi Square
a Research Question: Is there a significant relationship between sex and where one
grew up?
b Null hypothesis: There is no relationship between sex and where you grew up
c Alternative hypothesis: There is a significant relationship between sex and where
you grew up

Pearson r.
a Research Question: Is there a significant association between GPA and whether
the teen has tried marijuana?
b Null hypothesis: There is no significant association between GPA whether one
(teens) have tried marijuana.
c Alternative (Research) hypothesis: There is a significant association between GPA
and whether one tried marijuana.

T-test
a Research Question: Is there a relationship between the gender and how many
times teens have used marijuana?
b Null hypothesis: There is no relationship between gender and how many times
used marijuana
c Alternative hypothesis: There is a significant relationship between the gender and
how many times used marijuana?

Measures
The study used the following measures to operationalize the following variables: Gender or sex
was measured using an exhaustive category of male or female. How many times a teen have used
marijuana was measured using a scale which ranged from Never to more than 40 times. If teens
tried marijuana was measured with a dichotomous yes or no answer. Where one grew up was
measured using self-report responses about various community settings. Grade Point Average
(GPA) was measured on a computing system ranging from 1.00 to 4.00.

DATA ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION

Data Analysis Planning: Descriptive Statistics

Variable

Descriptive Statistics

1. Gender/Sex (nominal)

Frequencies, Crosstabs

2. How many times you have tried

Frequencies

marijuana. (interval)

Frequencies

3. Marijuana use (nominal)

Frequencies

4. Where you grew up(nominal)

Frequencies

5. Number of times teens have

Frequencies

used marijuana. (interval)

Frequencies, Measures of Central Tendency

Descriptive Characteristics

Table 1. Descriptive Characteristics of Where One Grew Up (SPSS, 2013).

Sex

DATA ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION

Valid

Missing

Frequency

Percent

Valid Percent

Cumulative Percent

Male

637

42.5

45.1

45.1

Female

775

51.7

54.9

100.0

Total

1412

94.1

100.0

MISSING

88

5.9

1500

100.0

Total

Table 2. Descriptive Characteristics of the sex of subjects (SPSS, 2013).

Characteristic results from the sample study is depicted in tables 1 and 2. The following sample
demographical measures included females and males between the age of 18 and 65(M=3.113,
SD=.6725). Participants from the sample were asked where they grew up, from the following
categories: Farm (3.9%), Country (11.8%), small town (20.9%), medium size city (12.3%),
suburb or medium size city (11.0%), large city (10.5%), suburb of a medium city (8.5%), very
large city (4.9%), suburb of large size city (5.7%) and suburb of very large city (5.7%) (SPSS,
2013). Table 2. Depicts the gender classification of the sample population. The population was
comprised of 637 males (42.5%) and 775 females (51.7%), 88 (5.9%) missing data respectively
(SPSS 2013).

Results
Results: Chi-Square

DATA ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION

A Pearson Chi-Square test results was conducted to assess whether where one grew up differed
by gender. The relationship between these variables was not statistically significant; where one
grew up did not differ by gender. x2 (9, N=1412) = 7.40, P=.595.
Results: Correlation
A Pearson product moment correlation was calculated in order to determine whether GPA is
correlated with marijuana use. The relationship between these variables was statistically
significant. GPA is significantly correlated with marijuana use (p<.001), and the correlation was
modest (r=-.23).
T-Test Results
An independent sample t-test was conducted to determine whether the number of times teens use
marijuana differed based on sex. Males (M=2.86, SD = 2.45) and females (M=2.44, SD = 2.11)
did significantly differ in their marijuana use, t(1219.32) = 3.40, p=.001.

Discussion
The Chi-Square results were not statistically significant. No further investigation is needed for
further review. There is known research that there are more males than females, specifically as it
relates to people under the age of 18 in the United States. The findings from the results werent
significant.
From the results of the T-Test and Correlation; there is a need to investigate these findings using
a larger scale. The findings provide insight as to what should be further explained. As a social
workers, my perspective is that I would like to know what can be done to decrease marijuana
use? How can researchers reduce teens exposure to marijuana?
The implications of research that I would impose is for there to be more educational awareness
on the health dangers associated with marijuana. Additionally, community figures should present
an annual presentation to freshman students on the legal repercussions associated with using
marijuana or being an influence. Lastly, interdisciplinary communication on marijuana should be
implemented by teachers and paraprofessionals in schools. One suggested tool is Monitoring the

DATA ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION

Future (MTF) longitudinal study. The more knowledgeable parents, and school staff is about
marijuana; presents a platform to discuss openly, and un-biasedly about substance use.

Reference

DATA ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION

N.A. (2013). Michigan News-University of Michigan. The Monitoring the Future Study:
American teens more cautious about using synthetic drugs. Retrieved from:
http://www.monitoringthefuture.org/pressreleases/13drugpr_complete.pdf

IBM Corp. Released 2013. IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 22.0. Armonk,
NY: IBM Corp.