Senario 3

Scenario 3

A researcher wants to determine if the reaction speeds of people are different based on whether they are athletic, moderately athletic, or not athletic. A random sample of people were asked whether they were athletic, moderately athletic, or not athletic. Then they were tested for reaction speed. Reaction speed was measured indirectly through reaction distance, as follows: A vertical meter stick was dropped and they caught it. The distance (in centimeters) that the stick fell is the reaction distance, and shorter distances correspond to faster reaction times.

The Null hypothesis for this scenario could be stated as: All people are equal in their athletic speed abilities even though they may state that they are either athletic, moderately athletic or not athletic.

The alternate hypothesis could be that the reaction speeds of people who are either athletic, moderately athletic, or not athletic are all considered to be different. The reaction speeds differentiate between those who have athletic abilities or not. (athletic, moderately athletic, not athletic)

The appropriate hypothesis that would fit this scenario is analysis of variance (ANOVA). Testing the hypothesis about several means. This develops a hypothesis between the three groups (athletic, moderately athletic, not athletic) ANOVA helps to find the differences between the three groups being tested for speed reaction. The results provide the means of the various groups and how they are significantly different from one another.

Although using a vertical meter stick to measure ones athletic ability in my mind does not really find anything. You are basically testing their brains reaction to hand-eye coordination speed. As it gives in the book example, the sample variance findings among the groups will vary.