Practice Examples for New Exam Question
Here are practice examples for a question you will see in your MAS183 exam, together with 7 scenarios
to which it could be applied. Model answers for each scenario are available in a separate document.
Exam question
(a) Complete the following statement by choosing ONE option from each of columns 1-4 below. If
you think more than one answer may be possible, choose the best answer. Write your
statement in your answer book.
[8]
Statement: “The research question concerns the…”
1
comparison of
distribution of
relation between
value of
2
multiple
one
two
3
categorical
numerical
population
sample
4
mean(s)
median(s)
proportion(s)
variable(s)
(b) Write appropriate hypothesis statements for the relevant hypothesis test.
[3]
Scenario 1.
A group of 30 women who said they were dog lovers were randomly divided into two groups of 15. All
the women performed a stressful task (counting backwards by 13 or 17) while their heart rates were
recorded. Each person’s mean heart rate during the task was taken to reflect their stress level. During
the task, one group had a good friend present and the other group had their dog present. The
researchers conducted a hypothesis test looking for evidence that the presence of a pet dog was more
calming than the presence of a friend.
Scenario 2.
Between 1949 and 1995 there were 26 cyclones within 250 nautical miles of Honolulu. The following
table gives the observed frequencies of cyclones per year. A researcher has proposed that the
frequencies follow a Poisson distribution, and is going to test this hypothesis.
Cyclones per year
Frequency
0
28
1
14
2
3
3
2
>3
0
Scenario 3.
A plant physiologist investigated the effect of physical stress on the growth of soybean plants. Individually
potted seedlings were randomly allocated between four treatment groups of 13 seedlings each:
Treatment group
1
2
3
4
Description
Low light (control)
Low light with stress
Moderate light (control)
Moderate light with stress
The stress was shaking of each plant for 20 minutes twice daily. The growth data were in millimetres
(mm) of plant height gained over the period of the experiment. The data were analysed to evaluate the
evidence for any difference in mean growth between the treatments.
Scenario 4.
In an investigation of stress-response, 22 students had their systolic blood pressure measured while
they were relaxed and again while they were under stress. The “relaxed blood pressure” was measured
every minute while each student listened to a relaxation audio recording, and the average measurement
was noted. Similarly, the “stressed blood pressure” was measured every minute while each student
performed a stressful assessment task (such as a MAS183 exam). Again, the average measurement was
noted. The researchers are wondering whether they can use the relaxed blood pressure to predict the
stressed blood pressure.
Scenario 5.
A careers researcher investigated employment among graduates from a university business school.
Among the data collected from each graduate were the gender of the graduate and the major(s) they
had studied. The researcher summarised the data in the following table:
Gender
Numbers of graduates tabulated by gender and major
Major studied
Accounting Administration Economics Finance
Female
68
91
5
61
Male
56
40
6
59
The researcher wants to know whether the pattern of majors studied differs between male and female
graduates.
Scenario 6.
Some species of fish are more active at night than during the day. The following data show the numbers
of mullet (Mugil) caught using seine nets at seven different times of year. For each time, the daylight
catch was made at high tide and the night catch was made at the following night-time high tide.
Time
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Daylight
23
67
34
48
24
51
26
Night-time
80
53
73
84
42
49
47
We want to find evidence as to whether mullet are more active at night than in the daytime.
Scenario 7.
The velvetleaf seed beetle feeds on the seeds of velvetleaf plants (a weed common in corn fields) and
could perhaps function as a natural weed control. The following data give the percentage of seeds
infected by the beetle for each of 10 velvetleaf plants.
5.5
3.7
7.0
4.0
4.6
8.5
3.6
3.6
4.0
2.2
The corn growers want to know whether the average infestation rate exceeds 5%.