Test Bank
How To Use SPSS Statistics, 10th Ed.
Chapter 6: Parametric Inferential Statistics
1. A p-value indicates
a. The probability that the null hypothesis is true.
b. The probability that the alternative hypothesis is true.
2. We are about to test a hypothesis using data from a well-designed study. Which is/are
true?
I. A small p-value would be strong evidence against the null hypothesis.
II. We can set a higher standard of proof by choosing alpha = 0.10 instead
of 0.05.
III. Type I error is equal to our alpha level.
a. None
b. I only
3. In the justice system, there is a presumption of innocence. The null hypothesis is that the
suspect is innocent. Which of the following is NOT correct based on the given situation?
a. If p < .05, we would reject the null hypothesis that the person is innocent.
4. Suppose that aspirin actually does NOT help prevent heart attacks. When we conduct
an experiment, our null hypothesis is that rates of heart attacks will be the same for our
group taking aspirin and our group taking a placebo. Our data result in p = 0.009. What
would result?
a. We correctly fail to reject the null hypothesis.
b. We correctly reject the null hypothesis.
For the questions that follow, identify which procedure you would use for each of the given
scenarios.
a. Single sample t-test
b. Independent samples t-test
c. Paired samples t-test
select a sample of 55 business people and measure the time it takes for each of them to
ride the train to work AND measure the time it takes for them to take a car to work. Then we
compare their travel time to work for both types of commute.
their garbage cans. Each sanitation department garbage can allows for the disposal of
up to 30 pounds of garbage. A random sample of 20 cans averaged 33.32 lbs. with a
standard deviation of 2.9 lbs. Is this strong evidence that residents overload their
garbage cans?
traditional method or the Harkness method. 30 students are randomly assigned to the
traditional method and 30 students are randomly assigned to the Harkness method.
After six weeks of class, the professor gives all the students a quiz to assess their
current understanding of the material. Is the average of the Harkness method students
higher than that of the traditional method students? Is this difference statistically
significant?