Stat 300: Intro to Probability & Statistics Group Members: _______________________________

American River College

Take-Home Quiz
Chapters 5-8: 42 points
Directions: You may work with a group of as many as 4 students, submitting one quiz with
all names, provided that you all contribute to the work. You may use your notes. You may use a
tutor. You may ask your instructor questions.

Questions 1-9
After 17 seasons of The Biggest Loser, I’m curious about how the percent of weight lost at the
finale (Percent2) for males compares to the percent lost at the finale for females. I want to
know if, in the long run, males and females differ in percent of weight lost at the finale. Use the
Biggest Loser Data Set in StatCrunch to answer the following questions. You can also use an
appropriate applet where applicable.
1. Identify and classify the explanatory and response variables.

2. Find the mean percent lost at the finale for females and the mean percent lost at the finale
for males. Use appropriate notation.

Carry out a test for significance to determine if the mean percent weight lost at the finale for
females is less than the mean percent weight lost at the finale for males.
3. Write the null and alternative hypotheses in symbols.

4. Write the null and alternative hypotheses in words.

5. What is an appropriate applet to use for this situation?

6. Use an appropriate applet to find (and state) the p-value.

7. state an appropriate conclusion to this test.

8. What would change in the hypotheses, the p-value, and conclusion if the research question
were to determine if, in the long run, the mean percent weight lost at the finale for
females is more than the mean percent weight lost at the finale for males?

9. Find and interpret a 99% confidence interval to estimate the difference between the mean
percent weight lost by females and the mean percent weight lost by males.

Questions 10-16
Researchers were interested in whether there is a relationship between baldness and heart
disease. Researchers randomly selected a sample of 663 heart disease patients (male) and a
control group of 772 males not suffering from heart disease. Each patient was asked to classify
their degree of baldness on a 5-point scale. The results are given in the following table.
Baldnes
None Little s
Some Much Total
Heart Yes 251 165 195 52 663
Disease No 331 221 185 35 772
Total 582 386 380 87 1435

p̂ none = 0.43 p̂ little = 0.43 p̂ some = 0.51 p̂ much = 0.60

10. What are the observational units?

11. Identify and classify the explanatory variable and the response variable. [Hint: Pay
attention to which variable is in the columns and which in the rows.]

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12. State in words the null and the alternative hypotheses for this study.

13. Do you consider the chi-square test valid for these data? Clearly explain how you are
deciding.

14. Below is output for the chi-square test. Summarize (with brief justification) the
conclusions you would draw from this study with regard to significance (use α = 0.01),
causation, and generalizability.

Significance:

Causation:

Generalizability:

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15. What would happen to the strength of evidence if the observed cell counts were half the
size they are now? Specifically, what would happen to the chi-square statistic and to the p-
value (increase / decrease / stay the same)?

16. Below is a set of simultaneous 95% confidence intervals.

none – little: (-0.0599, 0.0675)

none – some: (-0.1463, -0.0175)*
none – much: (-0.2770, -0.0558)*
little – some: (-0.1561, -0.0153)*
little – much: (-0.2845, -0.0560)*
some – much: (-0.1992, 0.0301)

Summarize what you learn from this output. Write one sentence summarizing the intervals
that do not contain zero. Write one sentence summarizing the intervals that do
contain zero.
[Hint: Men with ____&___ baldness have higher/lower rates of heart disease than men with
____&_____ baldness. Men with ___&____ baldness have roughly the same rates of heart
disease, as do men with ____&____baldness.]

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Questions 17-21:
For each scenario, stat what variable(s) should be recorded on each observational unit and
circle the most appropriate description of the setting.

17. Do a majority of students at your college prefer chocolate soft serve ice cream to vanilla?
Variable(s) recorded:

A. Single proportion
B. Single mean (including matched pairs)
C. Two independent samples—comparison of proportions
D. Two independent samples—comparison of means

18. Do UC Davis seniors tend to study more hours per week than UC Davis freshmen?
Variable(s) recorded:

A. Single proportion
B. Single mean (including matched pairs)
C. Two independent samples—comparison of proportions
D. Two independent samples—comparison of means

19. On average, is there a significant difference in one’s heart rate before using chewing
tobacco and after using chewing tobacco?
Variable(s) recorded:

A. Single proportion
B. Single mean (including matched pairs)
C. Two independent samples—comparison of proportions
D. Two independent samples—comparison of means

20. Is the proportion of females at your college who participate in varsity athletics different
from the proportion of males who participate in varsity athletics?
Variable(s) recorded:

A. Single proportion
B. Single mean (including matched pairs)
C. Two independent samples—comparison of proportions
D. Two independent samples—comparison of means

21. Ten diamond rings are shown to two jewelers and each jeweler is asked to determine the
appraisal value for each ring. The goal is to test whether the two jewelers give the same
appraisal values on average.
Variable(s) recorded:

A. Single proportion
B. Single mean (including matched pairs)
C. Two independent samples—comparison of proportions
D. Two independent samples—comparison of means