Question

Client Scenario: Jackson Hole Mind and Body Works

My name is Jane, and I am a licensed counselor who owns a business in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. This past year, I started a couple laughing yoga classes that combine the anxiety removing benefits of yoga with the emotional release of laughter. It has been a lot of fun and many clients love it, but a competitor has been criticizing my new approach as a sham and quackery. I am confident that my laughing yoga classes are beneficial, but I would like you to perform a study that examines the impact of my approaches from a scientific perspective. I know that science needs to be objective, so I would like you to setup a study for me as a nonbiased researcher. My thoughts are that I could give you the email addresses of clients who are willing to be in the study, and you would ask each of them questions, and then analyze the results.

            I would like you to examine two types of therapy I conduct, my laughing yoga therapy and my more traditional cognitive behavioral therapy.   I expect that 40 participants will be available from my laughing yoga classes, and that 50 participants will be available from my traditional cognitive behavioral therapy sessions. It would be nice if you asked questions related to clients’ current healthy living practices and use of positive emotions. You can determine the exact questions to ask clients. I was thinking that I would offer each participant in the study a couple free smoothie drinks at a local juice bar for participating in the research.

Instructions: For the scenario on the next page, write a paper that explains the following to a prospective client:

1. Formulate both null and alternative hypotheses for the client, and explain why the hypotheses need to be directional or non-directional.
2. Determine what statistical test should be used to analyze the data.
   1. Summarize all information used to determine the correct statistical test (e.g., number of groups, type of data collected, independent or repeated measures)
   2. Provide a sample size and critical values in relation to the hypothesis.
   3. State what statistical test should be used (be specific since you have all of the information you need to determine the critical value(s)).

Discuss what the statistical analysis will do in answering the hypotheses and question(s) for the client. Also discuss any potential problems to watch out for, including an appropriate sample size to meet the assumptions of the statistical test.

Answer 1

(a)

(i)

H0: Null Hypothesis: ( Clients’ current healthy living practices and use of positive emotions of laughing yoga therapy is not greater than that for traditional cognitive behavioral therapy. - Yoga therapy is not effective)

HA: Alternative Hypothesis: ( Clients’ current healthy living practices and use of positive emotions of laughing yoga therapy is greater than that for traditional cognitive behavioral therapy. - Yoga therapy is effective) (Claim)

(ii)

The hypothesis need to be directional because the research question is whether the yoga therapy is better than traditional cognitive behavioral therapy and so the Alternative Hypothesis does not involve not equal to sign and hence it is directional.

(b)

(i)

Number of groups = 2

Type of data collected : Quantitative (after converting Clients’ current healthy living practices and use of positive emotions into a numerical scale)

Independent measures

(ii)

n1 = Size of Sample 1 = 40

n2 = Size of Sample 2 = 50

Take Significance level = = 0.05

df = 40 +50 - 2 = 88

One Tail - Right Side Test

From Table, critical value of t = 1.6606

(iii)

2 independent samples t test should be used to analyze the data.

Potential problems to watch out for :

Since sample size = 50 + 40 = 90 > 30 Large Sample, Central Limit Theorem is applicable and hence t distribution is valid since population is normal distributed.

The 2 samples: Sample 1: Clients’ current healthy living practices and use of positive emotions of yoga therapy and Sample 2 : Clients’ current healthy living practices and use of positive emotions of traditional cognitive behavioral therapy are independent

The variables are quantitative after converting Clients’ current healthy living practices and use of positive emotions into a numerical scale.