In: Statistics and Probability
The Indiana State Police union is interested in whether the number of miles driven by each trooper is the same or different for the three different 8-hour shifts. Twenty Indiana state troopers were selected randomly selected on each of the three shifts and the number of miles that they traveled was recorded.
a) Is this an observational or an experimental study? Please explain your answer.
b) What is the population in this study?
20 Indiana troopers in each shift.
All police officers
The recorded number of miles
The times of the shift.
The Indiana State Police union
All Indiana State Troopers
c) What is the factor or treatment in this
study?
All police officers
20 Indiana troopers in each shift.
All Indiana State Troopers
The times of the shift.
The Indiana State Police union
The recorded number of miles
d) What is the outcome variable of this
study?
The Indiana State Police union
All Indiana State Troopers
The recorded number of miles
20 Indiana troopers in each shift.
The times of the shift.
All police officers
e) State a possible source of bias in this study. Feel free to speculate beyond the explicit statement of the question. However, nothing that is assumed can be contradicted by what is stated. Please include any assumptions that you are making.
a) This is an experimental study
In observational study , the researcher simple collects data on the basis of observation on the cause and effect . In experimental study , the researcher introduces some intervention, randomly assign the subjects into different treatment group and study the effects. Here , the state troopers were randomly assigned to different shift group and time of travel are studied.Thus it is experimental study.
b) Population : All Indiana state troopers .
c) Treatment : Times of the shift
In experimental study , the researcher randomly assign the subjects into different treatment groups ( here: different time of 8 hour shift) and study the effects.
d) Outcome : recorded number of miles
The researcher is interested to see whether number of miles traveled is different for different time of shift . Thus outcome here is recorded number of miles
e) Since the number of miles traveled in three shifts are studied . Travel time in all the three shift are not same. Some time in the day has busy streets, and lots of incidents are happening . While some may have deserted street . Thus , the treatment : different shift has other factors also which changes number of miles traveled.