PSY-315 Section BAS01, Fall 2015 Due Date: Monday, November 16th

REQUIRED Homework #6 Null hypothesis testing, the sign test, power, and z test

Instructions: Please write your name on the top of every page of your assignment and number the pages. Read each
problem carefully and respond to ALL parts of each question in your own words, using full sentences when
appropriate. ALL answers must be typed or legibly written. SHOW YOUR WORK!

1. (37 pts.) A psychologist is interested in whether hypnosis affects brain dominance (that is, whether the left or right
hemisphere of the brain is dominant). Eleven college students from the freshman class are randomly sampled for an
experiment. The experiment has two conditions that are given on different days. In condition 1, the students are hypnotized
and then given a test that measures the relative dominance of the right and left hemispheres. The higher the score, the more
dominant is the right hemisphere. In condition 2, the same students are given the test again, only this time they are not
hypnotized but are in their normal state of consciousness. The following scores are obtained:

Student 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Condition 1 26 15 22 19 23 37 16 17 14 16 21
Condition 2 12 13 18 17 21 22 18 22 10 14 15

Answer the following questions and show your work for each mathematical question:
A. (2 pts) What is the (non-directional) alternative hypothesis?
B. (2 pts) What is the null hypothesis?
C. (5 pts) What is the p value? (In other words, what is the probability of getting a result as extreme or more extreme as
the observed result purely by chance (2-tailed)?) Show your work.
D. (3 pts) For = 0.052 tail, what is your conclusion about the null hypothesis? Justify your answer using the decision rule.
E. (3 pts) If you had set = 0.012 tail, what would be your conclusion about the null hypothesis? Justify your answer using
the decision rule.
F. (2 pts) To what population should the results apply?
G. (3 pts) What is the power of this experiment, for = 0.052 tail and Preal = .10?
H. (2 pts) What is the probability of making a Type II error in this experiment when = 0.052 tail and Preal = .10?
I. (3 pts) What is the power of this experiment, for = 0.012 tail and Preal = .10?
J. (2 pts) What is the probability of making a Type II error in this experiment when = 0.012 tail and Preal = .10?
K. (3 pts) What is the power of this experiment, for = 0.052 tail and Preal = .40?
L. (2 pts) What is the probability of making a Type II error in this experiment when = 0.052 tail and Preal = .40?
M. (3 pts) What is the power of this experiment, for = 0.012 tail and Preal = .40?
N. (2 pts) What is the probability of making a Type II error in this experiment when = 0.012 tail and Preal = .40?

2. (36 pts) Answer the following True-False questions. In your write-up, just list the sub-question letter (A-R) and whether the
statement is True or False no need to restate the question or to justify your answer.

A. If the number of trials in the binomial distribution increases by 1 (and P equals .50), the probability of getting either of
the most extreme possible outcomes (that is, 0 or N) is cut in half.
B. If the number of trials in the binomial distribution increases by 1 (and P does not equal .50), the probability of getting
either of the most extreme possible outcomes (that is, 0 or N) is cut in half.
C. In the binomial distribution, as the probability of a + or - outcome differs more and more from .5, the shape of the
distribution of probabilities for all possible outcomes always becomes more and more symmetrical.
D. In the sign test, the p value associated with a given number of + outcomes will be the same as the p value associated
with the same number of - outcomes, when the test is two-tailed.
E. In the sign test, when the obtained result is exactly what would be expected by chance (like 9 successes out of 18 trials
when P = .50), the p value (assuming youre doing a two-tailed test) can never be greater than 1.00.
F. In the sign test, if N increases from 15 to 20 and alpha is made less stringent (like from .01 to .05), the number of distinct
possible outcomes (e.g., number of heads out of N) that allow rejection of H0 must increase.
G. In the sign test, if N decreases and the size of the effect of the independent variable decreases in strength, the probability
of a Type II error decreases.
H. In the sign test, as the numerical value of Preal decreases, the power of an experiment must always decrease.
I. As power decreases, the probability of correctly rejecting the null hypothesis decreases.
J. If a researcher fails to reject the null hypothesis, then she must accept the null hypothesis.
K. A researcher will always know for sure when she has made a Type I error.
L. If the obtained p value is less than the alpha level, the null hypothesis should be rejected.
M. It is impossible to make a Type II error when you reject the null hypothesis.
 N. If a researcher uses a one-tailed test, it will be easier for her to reject the null hypothesis than if she uses a two-tailed test,
assuming the effect is in the predicted direction.
O. If a researcher uses a one-tailed test, it will be easier for her to reject the null hypothesis than if she uses a two-tailed test,
even if the effect is in not the predicted direction.
P. All else being equal, if the N in the sign test increases, it becomes harder to reject the null hypothesis.
Q. In a binomial distribution with 15 trials, increasing the alpha level from .01 to .05 means that fewer of the possible
particular outcomes (like number of trials correct) will allow rejection of the null hypothesis.
R. All else being equal, if a researcher increases the likelihood of making a Type I error by increasing the value of alpha,
then she is also more likely to make a Type II error.

3. (9 pts) Answer the following questions:

A. (2 pts) In general, what data make up a distribution of raw scores? What does each data point represent?
B. (2 pts) In general, what data make up a sampling distribution of the mean? What does each data point represent?
C. (2 pts) Suppose you have three standard deviations, all derived from the same population: the standard deviation of a
population of raw scores, the standard deviation of a sample of scores, and the standard deviation of the sampling distribution
of the mean (also known as the standard error). If the sample is representative of the population, and N > 1, which of the
three should be the smallest in value? Why?
D. (3 pts) Why do we need to be concerned about the shape of the sampling distribution of the mean when evaluating a null
hypothesis using the z test? How is the central limit theorem useful for alleviating this concern?

4. (18 pts) An English teacher has been teaching a ninth grade composition class for many years. He has the feeling that over the
past several years, the writing ability of students has changed. He would be equally interested in knowing whether writing
ability has improved or declined. A national test of proficiency in composition was administered 5 years ago. The resulting
distribution of scores was normally shaped and had a mean of 80 and a population standard deviation of 11.4. In order to test his
intuition, he samples 41 students from his present class and gives them the same proficiency test. The resulting sample mean is
75.7, and the sample standard deviation is 13.9. Answer the following:
A. (1 pt) What is the null hypothesis?
B. (1 pt) What is the alternative hypothesis?
C. (1 pt) What is name of the appropriate statistical test for testing the null hypothesis?
D. (4 pts) What is the obtained value of the appropriate statistic for testing H0? Show your work.
E. (1 pt) Using = .052tail, what is the appropriate critical value?
F. (3 pts) What is your conclusion about H0, using = .052tail? What is the basis for your decision? In addition to stating
whether the null should be rejected or not, say what the conclusion MEANS in the context of the problem.
G. (1 pt) Using = .012tail, now what is the appropriate critical value?
H. (3 pts) What is your conclusion about H0, using = .012tail? What is the basis for your decision? In addition to stating
whether the null should be rejected or not, say what the conclusion MEANS in the context of the problem.
I. (3 pts) Calculate and interpret Cohens d. (See page 339! See if you can make this calculation and interpret it!)