In: Statistics and Probability
A new cold medication was tested by giving 125 people the drug and 100 people a placebo. A control group consisted of 115 people who were given no treatment. The number of people in each group who showed improvement is shown in the table below.
Cold Drug | Placebo | Control | Total | |
Improvement | 72 | 55 | 38 | 165 |
No Improvement | 53 | 45 | 77 | 175 |
Total | 125 | 100 | 115 | 340 |
a) What is the probability that a randomly selected person in the study either was given the placebo or was in the control group?
b) What is the probability that a randomly selected person either was given the drug or improved?
c) What is the probability that a randomly selected person was given the drug and improved?
d) What is the probability that a randomly selected person who improved was given the drug?
e) What is the probability that a randomly selected person who was given the drug improved?
f) Based on these data, does the drug appear to be effective?
a) What is the probability that a randomly selected person in the study either was given the placebo or was in the control group?
Answer : Pr(Was given the placebo or was in the control group) = (Total in placabo and total in control group)/Total population = (100 + 115)/340 = 0.6324
(b) probability that a randomly selected person either was given the drug or improved
= (Total given the drugs + total improved - total drugs and improved)/Total populatiion = (125 + 165 - 72)/340 = 0.6412
(c) probability that a randomly selected person was given the drug and improved
= Total given drug and improved/ Total population = 72/340 = 0.2118
(d) probability that a randomly selected person who improved was given the drug
= Total people who was improved and given the drug/Total who was improved = 72/165 = 0.4364
(e) probability that a randomly selected person who was given the drug improved
= Total people who improved given the drg/Total who was given the drug = 72/125 = 0.576
(f) Yes, as the data, seems the drug appear to be effective.