Running head: WEEK 5 ASSIGNMENT
Week 5 Assignment
Frank DAngelo
PSY-520 Graduate Statistics
Instructor: Christine Dargon Ph. D.
December 24, 2014
WEEK 5 ASSIGNMENT
Week 5 Assignment
Chapter 10
3) Explain in your own words why it is important to know the possible errors we might make
when rejecting or failing to reject the null hypothesis.
9) A primatologist believes that rhesus monkeys possess curiosity. She reasons that, if this is
true, then they should prefer novel stimulation to repetitive stimulation. An experiment is
conducted in which 12 rhesus monkeys are randomly selected from the university colony and
taught to press two bars. Pressing bar 1 always produces the same sound, whereas bar 2 produces
a novel sound each time it is pressed. After learning to press the bars, the monkeys are tested for
15 minutes, during which they have free access to both bars. The number of presses on each bar
during the 15 minutes is recorded. The resulting data are as follows:
Subject
Bar 1
Bar 2
20
40
18
25
24
38
14
27
31
26
21
15
32
29
38
15
25
10
18
11
25
32
12
31
28
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WEEK 5 ASSIGNMENT
a. What is the alternative hypothesis? In this case, assume a nondirectional hypothesis is
appropriate because there is insufficient empirical basis to warrant a directional hypothesis.
b. What is the null hypothesis?
c. Using = 0.052 tail, what is your conclusion?
d. What error might you be making by your conclusion in part c?
e. To what population does your conclusion in part c?
e. To what population does your conclusion apply?
13) A researcher is interested in determining whether acupuncture affects pain tolerance. An
experiment is performed in which 15 students are randomly chosen from a large pool of
university undergraduate volunteers. Each subject serves in two conditions. In both conditions,
each subject receives a short-duration electric shock to the pulp of a tooth. The shock intensity is
set to produce a moderate level of pain to the unanesthetized subject. After the shock is
terminated, each subject rates the perceived level of pain on a scale of 010, with 10 being the
highest level. In the experimental condition, each subject receives the appropriate acupuncture
treatment prior to receiving the shock. The control condition is made as similar to the
experimental condition as possible, except a placebo treatment is given instead of acupuncture.
The two conditions are run on separate days at the same time of day. The pain ratings in the
accompanying table are obtained.
a. What is the alternative hypothesis? Assume a nondirectional hypothesis is appropriate.
b. What is the null hypothesis?
c. Using = 0.052 tail, what is your conclusion?
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WEEK 5 ASSIGNMENT
d. What error might you be making by your conclusion in part c?
e. To what population does your conclusion apply?
Subject
Acupuncture
Placebo
10
11
12
13
14
15
Chapter 12
3) How are sampling distributions generated using the empirical sampling approach?
5) What are the two basic steps used when analyzing data?
8) How do each of the following differ?
a. s and Sx
b. s2 and 2
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WEEK 5 ASSIGNMENT
c. and X
d. and X
16) How does increasing the N of an experiment affect the following?
a. Power
b. Beta
c. Alpha
d. Size of real effect
20) A set of sample scores from an experiment has an N = 30 and an Xobt = 19.
a. Can we reject the null hypothesis that the sample is a random sample from a normal
population with = 22 and = 8? Use = 0.011 tail. Assume the sample mean is in the correct
direction.
b. What is the power of the experiment to detect a real effect such that real = 20?
c. What is the power to detect a real = 20 if N is increased to 100?
21) On the basis of her newly developed technique, a student believes she can reduce the amount
of time schizophrenics spend in an institution. As director of training at a nearby institution, you
agree to let her try her method on 20 schizophrenics, randomly sampled from your institution.
The mean duration that schizophrenics stay at your institution is 85 weeks, with a standard
deviation of 15 weeks. The scores are normally distributed. The results of the experiment show
that the patients treated by the student stay a mean duration of 78 weeks, with a standard
deviation of 20 weeks.
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WEEK 5 ASSIGNMENT
a. What is the alternative hypothesis? In this case, assume a nondirectional hypothesis is
appropriate because there are insuffi cient theoretical and empirical bases to warrant a directional
hypothesis.
b. What is the null hypothesis?
c. What do you conclude about the students technique?
Use = 0.05 2 tail.
25) A physical education professor believes that exercise can slow the aging process. For the past
10 years, he has been conducting an exercise class for 14 individuals who are currently 50 years
old. Normally, as one ages, maximum oxygen consumption decreases. The national norm for
maximum oxygen consumption in 50-year-old individuals is
30 milliliters per kilogram per minute, with a standard deviation of 8.6. The mean of the 14
individuals is 40 milliliters per kilogram per minute. What do you conclude? Use = 0.051 tail.
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WEEK 5 ASSIGNMENT
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