Student assignment involving perceptual mapping via multidimensional scaling and multi-attribute models

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Research shows that college students are deficient in statistical skills. There is a need today for the development of learning tools that can help students overcome their anxiety of statistical applications. This study seeks to respond to that need by describing a student assignment involving multivariate statistics. The assignment integrates aspects of perceptual mapping via multidimensional scaling and multi-attribute models. A feedback questionnaire revealed that the assignment was well-received by students and successful in increasing their knowledge of statistics. Students felt the assignment did increase their knowledge of perceptual maps, multi-attribute models, and multidimensional scaling. Students showed an interest in learning more about statistics and marketing research. Since the assignment increased the student's interest in statistics and willingness to learn and use statistics, findings suggest that the students anxiety regarding statistics was reduced.