NHM 526: Statistics I in NHM
Problem Solving Assignment #1 – Chapter 1
Please answer the following questions:
1. A researcher is investigating the effectiveness of a treatment for adolescent boys who are
taking medication for depression. A group of 30 boys is selected and half receive the new
treatment in addition to their medication and the other half continue to take their
medication without any treatment. For this study,
a. Identify the population.
b. Identify the sample.
2. Statistical methods are classified into two major categories: descriptive and inferential.
Describe the general purpose for the statistical methods in each category.
3. Describe how the goal of an experimental research study is different from the goal for
nonexperimental or correlational research. Identify the two elements that are necessary for
an experiment to achieve its goal.
4. Two researchers are both interested in the relationship between caffeine consumption and
activity level for elementary school children. Each obtains a sample of n = 20 children.
a. The first researcher interviews each child to determine the level of caffeine
consumption. The researcher then records the level of activity for each child during
a 30-minute session on the playground. Is this an experimental or a
nonexperimental study? Explain your answer.
b. The second researcher separates the children into two roughly equivalent groups.
The children in one group are given a drink containing 300 mg of caffeine and the
other group gets a drink with no caffeine. The researcher then records the level of
activity for each child during a 30-minute session on the playground. Is this an
experimental or a nonexperimental study? Explain your answer.
5. A researcher would like to evaluate the claim that large doses of vitamin C can help prevent
the common cold. One group of participants is given a large dose of the vitamin (500 mg per
day), and a second group is given a placebo (sugar pill). The researcher records the number
of colds each individual experiences during the 3-month winter season.
a. Identify the dependent variable for this study.
b. Is the dependent variable discrete or continuous?
c. What scale of measurement (nominal, ordinal, interval, or ratio) is used to measure
the dependent variable?
6. Oxytocin is a naturally occurring brain chemical that is nicknamed the “love hormone”
because it seems to play a role in the formation of social relationships such as mating pairs
and parent-child bonding. A recent study demonstrated that oxytocin appears to increase
people’s tendency to trust others (Kosfeld, Heinrichs, Zak, Fischbacher, and Fehr, 2005).
Using an investment game, the study demonstrated that people who inhaled oxytocin were
more likely to give their money to a trustee compared to people who inhaled an inactive
placebo. For this experimental study, identify the independent variable and the dependent
variable.
7. Four scales of measurement were introduced in this chapter: nominal, ordinal, interval, and
ratio.
a. What additional information is obtained from measurements on an ordinal scale
compared to measurements on a nominal scale?
b. What additional information is obtained from measurements on an interval scale
compared to measurements on an ordinal scale?
c. What additional information is obtained from measurements on a ratio scale
compared to measurements on an interval scale?
8. In an experiment examining the effects of humor on memory, Schmidt (1994) showed
participants a list of sentences, half of which were humorous and half were nonhumorous.
The participants consistently recalled more of the humorous sentences than the
nonhumorous sentences.
a. Identify the independent variable for this study.
b. What scale of measurement is used for the independent variable?
c. Identify the dependent variable for this study.
d. What scale of measurement is used for the dependent variable?
9. Ford and Torok (2008) found that motivational signs were effective in increasing physical
activity on a college campus. Signs such as “Step up to a healthier lifestyle” and “An average
person burns 10 calories a minute walking up the stairs” were posted by the elevators and
stairs in a college building. Students and faculty increased their use of the stairs during
times that the signs were posted compared to times when there were no signs.
a. Identify the independent and dependent variables for this study.
b. What scale of measurement is used for the independent variable?