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Two-Sample Experiments
Preliminary Reading: Chapters 3 4
2.1
In a study of the drug nicardipine for treating an illness called Raynauds Phenomenon,
the number of attacks observed over a two-week period was recorded for each of thirty
patients, once while they were receiving the active treatment (nicardipine) and once while
they were receiving a placebo.
The order in which each patient received the nicardipine and the placebo was randomised, in a double-blind fashion (neither the patient nor the administering physician
knew whether it was nicardipine or the placebo). Sufficient time was allowed between the
treatment periods to avoid any drug carry-over effects.
We want to investigate whether nicardipine is an effective treatment for Raynauds
Phenomenon (in the sense of lowering the mean number of attacks per fortnight) and to
give a confidence interval for any effect.
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20
nicardipine
51
46
40
28
8
23
53
9
27
14
23
2
28
9
32
placebo
37
37
43
36
24
35
49
21
41
32
16
17
29
31
36
patient
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19
20
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22
23
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27
28
29
30
nicardipine
27
21
40
29
8
4
23
0
43
15
2
32
44
13
32
placebo
43
31
36
40
33
31
38
31
33
43
42
43
45
24
47
21
22
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2.2
Jellyfish Length
Samples of jellyfish were taken from Dangar Island and Salamander Bay, both in the
Hawkesbury River in New South Wales. The lengths in millimetres were recorded. We
want to investigate whether the mean length of Dangar Island jellyfish is different from
that of Salamander Bay jellyfish, and if so to give a confidence interval for this difference.
Reference: Lunn, A.D. and McNeil, D.R. (1991), Computer-Interactive Data Analysis, Chichester: John Wiley and Sons, 308
Dangar
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9
9.5
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10
10
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11
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10. In order to produce a normal Q-Q plot of the lengths separately for each location, it
is necessary to first extract as new data frames the lengths for each location . . .
(a) Use the menu item
Data / Active data set / Subset active data set. . .
(b) Uncheck the box Include all variables and select only
length
(c) For the Subset expression enter location=="Dangar Island"
(d) Name the new data set Dangar.Island
(e) Click on the OK button
(f) Produce a normal Q-Q plot of the lengths for the jellyfish sampled from Dangar
Island
11. Go back to the original data frame . . .
(a) Use the menu item
Data / Active data set / Select active data set. . .
(b) Select the data frame Jellyfish
(c) Click on the OK button
12. Repeat for Salamander Bay
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13. Observe that the distribution of the lengths at each location is approximately normal
14. Perform a two-independent-samples t-test . . .
(a) Use the menu item
Statistics / Means / Independent samples t-test. . .
(b) Select location as the grouping variable and length as the response variable
(c) There is no need to alter any of the other settings
(d) Click on the OK button
Checkpoint 8
The demonstrator will inspect your Word document
Explain to the demonstrator why this experimental design is a two-independentsamples design
Show to the demonstrator your statement of the null hypothesis
Show to the demonstrator your normal Q-Q plots of the lengths and discuss
Identify to the demonstrator the P-value for this analysis and show to the demonstrator your conclusion regarding the null hypothesis
If appropriate, show to the demonstrator the confidence interval for the mean difference and explain how to interpret it
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