Definitions of Statistics, Probability, and Key Terms

Use the following information to answer the next five exercises. Studies are often done by pharmaceutical companies to determine the effectiveness of a
treatment program. Suppose that a new AIDS antibody drug is currently under study. It is given to patients once the AIDS symptoms have revealed
themselves. Of interest is the average (mean) length of time in months patients live once they start the treatment. Two researchers each follow a different
set of 40 patients with AIDS from the start of treatment until their deaths. The following data (in months) are collected.

Researcher
A:3; 4; 11; 15; 16; 17; 22; 44; 37; 16; 14; 24; 25; 15; 26; 27; 33; 29; 35; 44; 13; 21; 22; 10; 12; 8; 40; 32; 26; 27; 31; 34; 29; 17; 8; 24; 18; 47; 33; 34

Researcher
B:3; 14; 11; 5; 16; 17; 28; 41; 31; 18; 14; 14; 26; 25; 21; 22; 31; 2; 35; 44; 23; 21; 21; 16; 12; 18; 41; 22; 16; 25; 33; 34; 29; 13; 18; 24; 23; 42; 33; 29

Determine what the key terms refer to in the example for Researcher A.

1. population
2. parameter
3. variable

Data, Sampling, and Variation in Data and Sampling

Use the following information to answer the next four exercises: A study was done to determine the age, number of times per week, and the duration
(amount of time) of residents using a local park in San Antonio, Texas. The first house in the neighborhood around the park was selected randomly, and
then the resident of every eighth house in the neighborhood around the park was interviewed.

The sampling method was

a. simple random; b. systematic; c. stratified; d. cluster

The colors of the houses around the park are what kind of data?
 a. qualitative (categorical); b. quantitative discrete; c. quantitative continuous

The below table contains the total number of deaths worldwide as a result of earthquakes from 2000 to 2012.

Year Total Number of Deaths

2000 231

2001 21,357

2002 11,685

2003 33,819

2004 228,802

2005 88,003

2006 6,605

2007 712

2008 88,011

2009 1,790

2010 320,120

2011 21,953
 Year Total Number of Deaths

2012 768

Total 823,856

Use this table to answer the following questions.

a. What is the proportion of deaths between 2007 and 2012?

b. What percent of deaths occurred before 2001?
c. What is the percent of deaths that occurred in 2003 or after 2010?
d. What is the fraction of deaths that happened before 2012?
e. What kind of data is the number of deaths?
f. Earthquakes are quantified according to the amount of energy they produce (examples are 2.1, 5.0, 6.7). What type of data is that?
g. What contributed to the large number of deaths in 2010? In 2004? Explain.

For the following exercises, determine the type of sampling used (simple random, stratified, systematic, cluster, or convenience).

1. A market researcher polls every tenth person who walks into a store.

2. A computer generates 100 random numbers, and 100 people whose names correspond with the numbers on the list are chosen.

Use the following information to answer the exercises: Studies are often done by pharmaceutical companies to determine the effectiveness of a treatment
program. Suppose that a new AIDS antibody drug is currently under study. It is given to patients once the AIDS symptoms have revealed themselves. Of
interest is the average (mean) length of time in months patients live once starting the treatment. Two researchers each follow a different set of 40 AIDS
patients from the start of treatment until their deaths. The following data (in months) are collected.
Researcher A: 3; 4; 11; 15; 16; 17; 22; 44; 37; 16; 14; 24; 25; 15; 26; 27; 33; 29; 35; 44; 13; 21; 22; 10; 12; 8; 40; 32; 26; 27; 31; 34; 29; 17; 8; 24; 18; 47; 33;
34

Researcher B: 3; 14; 11; 5; 16; 17; 28; 41; 31; 18; 14; 14; 26; 25; 21; 22; 31; 2; 35; 44; 23; 21; 21; 16; 12; 18; 41; 22; 16; 25; 33; 34; 29; 13; 18; 24; 23; 42; 33;
29

1. Determine what the key term data refers to in the above example for Researcher A.

2. Can you tell if one researcher is correct and the other one is incorrect? Why?

3. Suggest at least two methods the researchers might use to gather random data.

Suppose that the second researcher conducted his survey by choosing 40 patients he knew. What sampling method would that researcher have used?
What concerns would you have about this data set, based upon the data collection method?

Use the following data to answer the exercises: Two researchers are gathering data on hours of video games played by school-aged children and young
adults. They each randomly sample different groups of 150 students from the same school. They collect the following data.

Hours Played per Week Frequency Relative Frequency Cumulative Relative Frequency

0–2 26 0.17 0.17

2–4 30 0.20 0.37

4–6 49 0.33 0.70

6–8 25 0.17 0.87

8–10 12 0.08 0.95

10–12 8 0.05 1
Table 1.29 Researcher A
 Hours Played per Week Frequency Relative Frequency Cumulative Relative Frequency

0–2 48 0.32 0.32

2–4 51 0.34 0.66

4–6 24 0.16 0.82

6–8 12 0.08 0.90

8–10 11 0.07 0.97

10–12 4 0.03 1
Table 1.30 Researcher B

1. Would the sample size be large enough if the population is the students in the school?

2. Researcher A concludes that most students play video games between four and six hours each week. Researcher B concludes that most students play
video games between two and four hours each week. Who is correct?

As part of a way to reward students for participating in the survey, the researchers gave each student a gift card to a video game store. Would this affect
the data if students knew about the award before the study?

Use the following data to answer the next five exercises: A pair of studies was performed to measure the effectiveness of a new software program designed
to help stroke patients regain their problem-solving skills. Patients were asked to use the software program twice a day, once in the morning and once in
the evening. The studies observed 200 stroke patients recovering over a period of several weeks. The first study collected the data in Table 1.31. The
second study collected the data in Table 1.32.

Group Showed improvement No improvement Deterioration

Used program 142 43 15

 Group Showed improvement No improvement Deterioration

Did not use program 72 110 18

Table 1.31

Group Showed improvement No improvement Deterioration

Used program 105 74 19

Did not use program 89 99 12

Table 1.32
1. Given what you know, which study is correct?

2. Patients who used the software were also a part of an exercise program whereas patients who did not use the software were not. Does this change the
validity of the conclusions from Exercise 1.31?

3. Is a sample of 500 volunteers a reliable measure for a population of 2,500?

4. Is a sample size of two representative of a population of five?

Frequency, Frequency Tables, and Levels of Measurement

What type of measure scale is being used? Nominal, ordinal, interval or ratio.

a. High school soccer players classified by their athletic ability: Superior, Average, Above average
b. Baking temperatures for various main dishes: 350, 400, 325, 250, 300
c. The colors of crayons in a 24-crayon box
d. Social security numbers
e. Incomes measured in dollars
f. A satisfaction survey of a social website by number: 1 = very satisfied, 2 = somewhat satisfied, 3 = not satisfied
 g. Political outlook: extreme left, left-of-center, right-of-center, extreme right
h. Time of day on an analog watch
i. The distance in miles to the closest grocery store
j. The dates 1066, 1492, 1644, 1947, and 1944
k. The heights of 21–65 year-old women
l. Common letter grades: A, B, C, D, and F

Experimental Design and Ethics

Discuss potential violations of the rule requiring informed consent.

a. Inmates in a correctional facility are offered good behavior credit in return for participation in a study.
b. A research study is designed to investigate a new children’s allergy medication.
c. Participants in a study are told that the new medication being tested is highly promising, but they are not told that only a small portion of
participants will receive the new medication. Others will receive placebo treatments and traditional treatments.