Module 5 Assignment (A-5) For this assignment you will use multiple data sets, each embedded within the assignment below. Q1 and Q2: Steven Schmidt (1994) conducted a series of experiments examining the effects of humor on memory. In one study, participants were given a mix of humorous and non-humorous sentences and significantly more humorous sentences were recalled.
Module 5 Assignment (A-5) For this assignment you will use multiple data sets, each embedded within the assignment below. Q1 and Q2: Steven Schmidt (1994) conducted a series of experiments examining the effects of humor on memory. In one study, participants were given a mix of humorous and non-humorous sentences and significantly more humorous sentences were recalled. However, Schmidt argued that the humorous sentences were not necessarily easier to remember, they were simply preferred when participants had the choice between the two types of sentence. To test this argument, he switched to an independent measures design in which one group got a set of exclusively humorous sentences and another group got a set of exclusively non-humorous sentences. The following data are similar to the results from the published independent measures study: Humorous Sentences NonHumorous Sentences 4 6 5 3 2 5 4 3 6 3 7 4 6 2 6 6 2 4 5 3 4 4 3 4 3 5 3 2 5 6 3 4 Q1) Use the dataset above to calculate each of the following statistics. Note that the Humorous Sentences Group is the sample for Population 1 and the Non-Humorous Sentences Group is the sample for Population 2. a) X 1 and X 2 b) df1 df2 dftotal c) σ21 σ22 σ2pooled (estimated population variances) d) standard error of the sampling distribution e) tobtained Q2) Your statistics professor is considering changing the amount of humor used in his/her lectures, but is not sure whether this will impact students’ memory for the lecture material. Use the statistics calculated in Q1 to perform a hypothesis test using an independent samples t test with an alpha level of .05 and a two-tailed design (show all 5 steps of hypothesis testing). As part of your results, make a recommendation about whether your statistics professor should use humor in his/her lectures to ensure that students will remember the content. Q3 and Q4: Siegel (1990) found that elderly people who owned dogs were less likely to pay visits to their doctors after upsetting events than were those who did not own pets. Similarly, consider the following hypothetical data. A sample of elderly dog owners is compared to a similar group (in terms of age and health) who do not own dogs. The researcher records the number of visits to the doctor during the past year for each person. The data are as follows: Control Group Pet Owners 10 7 8 4 7 9 9 3 13 7 7 6 12 Q3) Use the dataset above to calculate each of the following statistics. Note that the Control Group is the sample for Population 1 and the Dog Owners Group is the sample for Population 2. a) X 1 and X 2 b) df1 df2 dftotal c) σ21 σ22 σ2pooled (estimated population variances) d) standard error of the sampling distribution e) tobtained Q4) An assisted living facility is reviewing their policy that strictly forbids their elderly residents to have pets, and they will use your data analysis and results to make a decision. Use the statistics calculated in Q3 to determine whether the researcher’s data replicates the findings of the Siegel (1990) study. Perform a hypothesis test using an independent samples t test with an alpha level of .05 and a twotailed design (show all 5 steps of hypothesis testing). As part of your results, make a recommendation to the assisted living facility about their pet policy. Extra Credit (3 points): In no less than 5 sentences, explain a research idea you would test using hypothesis testing with an independent samples t test. Be sure to identify your independent (IV) and dependent (DV) variables, and report your null and alternative hypotheses. Why are you interested in this particular research question?