Assignment 2: Conducting a z-Test
A researcher predicts that watching a film on institutionalization will change students’ attitudes about chronically mentally ill patients. The researcher randomly selects a class of 36 students, shows them the film, and gives them a questionnaire about their attitudes. The mean score on the questionnaire for these 36 students is 70. The score for a similar class of students who did not see the film is 75. The standard deviation is 12. Using the five steps of hypothesis testing and the 5% significance level (i.e. alpha = .05), does showing the film change students’ attitudes towards the chronically mentally ill?
- What does it mean to set alpha at .05?
- What is your null hypothesis? Alternate hypothesis?
- Is this a one-tailed or two-tailed hypothesis?
- What is the critical z?
- Suppose the obtained z was -2.5. Do you reject or fail to reject the null hypothesis?
- State in words what you have found.
Due Wednesday 30th
Assignment 2 Grading Criteria |
Maximum Points
|
Explained what it means to set alpha at .05. |
11
|
Correctly identified the null and alternative hypotheses. |
11
|
Correctly identified and explained whether theirs is a one-tailed or two-tailed hypothesis. |
11
|
Correctly identified the criterion z. |
11
|
Explained whether one would reject or fail to reject the null hypothesis, and state in words what the findings were. |
20
|
Wrote in a clear, concise, and organized manner; demonstrated ethical scholarship in accurate representation and attribution of sources; displayed accurate spelling, grammar, and punctuation. |
16
|
Total: |
80
|