/*! This file is auto-generated */ .wp-block-button__link{color:#fff;background-color:#32373c;border-radius:9999px;box-shadow:none;text-decoration:none;padding:calc(.667em + 2px) calc(1.333em + 2px);font-size:1.125em}.wp-block-file__button{background:#32373c;color:#fff;text-decoration:none} Problem 27 Whether or not to continue a Mar... [FREE SOLUTION] | 91Ó°ÊÓ

91Ó°ÊÓ

Whether or not to continue a Mardi Gras Parade through downtown San Luis Obispo, CA, is a hotly debated topic. The parade is popular with students and many residents, but some celebrations have led to complaints and a call to eliminate the parade. The local newspaper conducted online and telephone surveys of its readers and was surprised by the results. The survey web site received more than 400 responses, with more than \(60 \%\) favoring continuing the parade, while the telephone response line received more than 120 calls, with more than \(90 \%\) favoring banning the parade (San Luis Obispo Tribune, March 3, 2004). What factors may have contributed to these very different results?

Short Answer

Expert verified
The factors contributing to the different results could include the demographics of the people who responded (younger people may be more likely to participate in an online survey and favor the parade; older people may be more likely to respond to a phone survey and disfavor the parade), the sample size difference (online survey had more respondents), and self-selection bias inherent in both surveys.

Step by step solution

01

Consider the two formats of survey

Two methods were employed for this survey: a web-based platform received more than 400 responses, and a telephone line collected more than 120 responses. It is known that over \(60 \%\) of online responses were in favor of the parade, whereas over \(90 \%\) of telephone responses favored banning the parade.
02

Consider the demographics that might use each method

The respondents to each of the two survey methods are likely to belong to different demographic groups. Internet-related activities, such as online polls, are more frequently used by younger individuals, who might be more inclined to keep the parade. On the other hand, older individuals, who might be more likely to oppose the parade, could have been the main respondents to the telephone survey.
03

Consider the potential bias

Survey respondents are self-selected, therefore the data may not represent the entire population of San Luis Obispo. Moreover, it's possible that those with stronger feelings about the issue were more likely to respond to the surveys, therefore leading to potential bias in the survey results.
04

Consider the sample size

The survey conducted online had a larger sample size than the phone survey. A smaller sample size, like the phone survey, may not represent the entire population's opinion as accurately as a larger sample.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with 91Ó°ÊÓ!

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

Does eating broccoli reduce the risk of prostate cancer? According to an observational study from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (see CNN.com web site article titled "Broccoli, Not Pizza Sauce, Cuts Cancer Risk, Study Finds," January 5,2000 ), men who ate more cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and cabbage) had a lower risk of prostate cancer. This study made separate comparisons for men who ate different levels of vegetables. According to one of the investigators, "at any given level of total vegetable consumption, as the percent of cruciferous vegetables increased, the prostate cancer risk decreased." Based on this study, is it reasonable to conclude that eating cruciferous vegetables causes a reduction in prostate cancer risk? Explain.

Pismo Beach, California, has an annual clam festival that includes a clam chowder contest. Judges rate clam chowders from local restaurants, and the judging is done in such a way that the judges are not aware of which chowder is from which restaurant. One year, much to the dismay of the seafood restaurants on the waterfont, Denny's chowder was declared the winner! (When asked what the ingredients were, the cook at Denny's said he wasn't sure- he just had to add the right amount of nondairy creamer to the soup stock that he got from Denny's distribution center!) a. Do you think that Denny's chowder would have won the contest if the judging had not been "blind"? Explain. b. Although this was not an experiment, your answer to Part (a) helps to explain why those measuring the response in an experiment are often blinded. Using your

An article in the San Luis Obispo Tribune (September 7,1999 ) described an experiment designed to investigate the effect of creatine supplements on the development of muscle fibers. The article states that the researchers "looked at 19 men, all about 25 years of age and similar in weight, lean body mass, and capacity to lift weights. Ten were given creatine \(-25\) grams a day for the first week. followed by 5 grams a day for the rest of the study. The rest were given a fake preparation. No one was told what he was getting. All the men worked out under the guidance of the same trainer. The response variable measured was gain in fat- free mass (in percent)." a. What extraneous variables are identified in the given statement, and what strategy did the researchers use to deal with them? b. Do you think it was important that the men participating in the experiment were not told whether they were receiving creatine or the placebo? Explain. c. This experiment was not conducted in a double-blind manner. Do you think it would have been a good idea to make this a double-blind experiment? Explain.

The article "Tots" TV-Watching May Spur Attention Problems" (San Luis Obispo Tribune, April 5, 2004) describes a study that appeared in the journal \(P\) ediatrics. In this study, researchers looked at records of 2500 children who were participating in a long-term health study. They found that \(10 \%\) of these children had attention disorders at age 7 and that hours of television watched at age 1 and age 3 was associated with an increased risk of having an attention disorder at age 7 . a. Is the study described an observational study or an experiment? b. Give an example of a potentially confounding variable that would make it unwise to draw the conclusion that hours of television watched at a young age is the cause of the increased risk of attention disorder.

Researchers at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto compared babies born to mothers with diabetes to babies born to mothers without diabetes ("Conditioning and Hyperanalgesia in Newborns Exposed to Repeated Heel Lances," Journal of the American Medical Association \([2002]: 857-861\) ). Babies born to mothers with diabetes have their heels pricked numerous times during the first 36 hours of life in order to obtain blood samples to monitor blood sugar level. The researchers noted that the babies born to diabetic mothers were more likely to grimace or cry when having blood drawn than the babies born to mothers without diabetes. This led the researchers to conclude that babies who experience pain early in life become highly sensitive to pain. Comment on the appropriateness of this conclusion.

See all solutions

Recommended explanations on Math Textbooks

View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.