Question

1. A psychologist interested in animal research wanted to determine whether people who owned a cat were more relaxed than people who did not own any pets. The participants’ relaxation levels were measured on a 10-point scale with higher numbers representing greater feelings of relaxation. Use SPSS and the logic of hypothesis testing to determine whether or not cat owners are more relaxed at the .05 significance level.

Cat owner	No pets
10	3
7	4
8	7
6	5
9	4
10	7
10	3
7	4
8	4
8	4
9	5

1. State your hypotheses.

2. Using SPSS, determine the characteristics of the comparison distribution.

3. Determine the cut-off value for a 5% significance level.

4. Using SPSS, determine the observed t score.

5. Decide whether or not to reject the null and give a verbal explanation.

Answer 1

Solution

We will use independent t test to check whether people who owned a cat were more relaxed than people who did not own any pets.

State your hypotheses

Determine the cut-off value for a 5% significance level

Sine SPSS only provides two tailed significance value so we need to divide it by two for one tailed significance value so

The cut-off value for a 5% significance level = 0.000/2 = 0

the observed t score = 6.559

Since P-value = 0 < 5% significance level so we reject the null hypothesis and conclude that people who owned a cat were more relaxed than people who did not own any pets.