Chapter 8: Q30E (page 452)
The 鈥渓ast name鈥 effect in purchasing. The Journal of Consumer Research (August 2011) published a study demonstrating the 鈥渓ast name鈥 effect鈥攊.e., the tendency for consumers with last names that begin with a later letter of the alphabet to purchase an item before consumers with last names that begin with earlier letters. To facilitate the analysis, the researchers assigned a number, x, to each consumer based on the first letter of the consumer鈥檚 last name. For example, last names beginning with 鈥淎鈥 were assigned x = 1; last names beginning with 鈥淏鈥 were assigned x = 2; and last names beginning with 鈥淶鈥 were assigned x = 26.
a. If the first letters of consumers鈥 last names are equally likely, find the probability distribution for x.
b. Find E (x) using the probability distribution, part a. If possible, give a practical interpretation of this value.?
c. Do you believe the probability distribution, part a, is realistic? Explain. How might you go about estimating the true probability distribution for x
Short Answer
- The probability distribution of x is where x = 1,...26
- and the interpretation of the value is
- The probability distribution is realistic. Estimating the probability distribution of x is
where x = 1,...26.
