STATS discussion post

In Week 4, you explored t tests, which allowed you to compare a sample to a population or compare two groups to one another. You

analyzed a study about how visualization techniques impact how long it takes people with insomnia to fall asleep. But what if you want

to compare the effectiveness of more than two types of insomnia treatments? Analysis of variance, or ANOVA, allows you to do just that

—compare multiple groups (called levels) based on an independent variable (called a factor). So in a study about insomnia treatments,

you might compare a group that receives muscle relaxation training to a second group that receives visualization training and, finally,

to a third group that receives deep breathing training. An ANOVA will allow you to compare all of the levels at once to see if, in

general, the type of treatment influences how long it takes to fall sleep. Post hoc analyses can provide even more information by

identifying which specific groups differ from one another, showing you which specific treatments are more effective than others.

In this Discussion you will use your knowledge of one-way ANOVAs to evaluate a research study scenario and make suggestions about what

could be done to gain even better information.

Scenario:

The Alpha Shoe Company’s advertising department wants to publish an ad about a new basketball shoe it claims will enable athletes

to jump higher. Alpha attributes this increase in lift to a new sole design, core, and tread.

An independent testing institute conducted a study on the shoe, called the “Pluto,” to determine if it really does result in higher

jumping heights, in comparison to four other shoes. Five groups of four professional basketball players tested the shoes. The mean

jumping height for each shoe was reported as follows:

Pluto: 29.3 inches
Omega II: 29.0 inches
Beta Super: 28.7 inches
Delta: 28.4 inches
Gamma: 28.0 inches

Alpha did not report any inferential statistics in their ad, but it stated, “As you can clearly see, our Pluto shoes offer an

obvious vertical lift advantage in comparison to other leading brands. Even a fraction of an inch can make all the difference in a big

game!” Being the good consumer of research that you now are, what questions would you have after reading Alpha Shoe Company’s ad?

Post by Day 3 your answers to the following questions:
What questions about the statistics do you have after reading the ad?
What was done correctly with regards to how the researchers analyzed the data?
What criticisms do you have of the company’s statistical approach?
How would you use ANOVA to follow up on the research institute’s preliminary results presented here?

Be sure to support each of your answers with evidence and citations from the Learning Resources.
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