MA3110 wk 1 homework
Section 1-2 Ex. 26
Surgery vs. Splints – A study compared surgery and splinting for subjects suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome. It was found that among 73 patients treated with surgery, there was a 92% success rate. Among 83 patients treated with splints, there was a 72% success rate. Calculations using these results showed that if there really is no difference in success rates between surgery and splints, then there is about a 1 in 1000 chance of getting success rates like the one obtained in this study.
a. Should we conclude that surgery is better than splints for the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome? It would be unfair to make such a conclusion. There are pieces of data missing: age of the patients, current health conditions of the patients, and prior treatments the patients had for this condition.
b. Does the result have practical significance? The study did not generate enough viable results to make it practical for any use other than to ensure that a greater investigation should be conducted to verify the differences between the two treatment methods. These results were most likely voluntary responses, making the data gained, fairly useless.
c. Should surgery be the recommended treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome? No, there is no defined level of severity for each patient. Without that information a logical recommendation for treatment cannot be assigned.
Section 1-3 Ex. 30
Cloning Survey – A Gallup poll of 1012 randomly surveyed adults found that 9% of them said cloning of humans should be allowed.
a. Identify the sample: The 1012 people surveyed, are the sample. These were the people that responded to the survey.
b. Identify the population: This would be the actual number of people the survey was sent to.
c. With such a low number of responses and only 9% of those surveyed in agreeance with cloning it is unlikely that this survey is a good representation for the populous as a whole.
Section 1-4 Ex. 18
Bad Question – The author
Surgery vs. Splints – A study compared surgery and splinting for subjects suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome. It was found that among 73 patients treated with surgery, there was a 92% success rate. Among 83 patients treated with splints, there was a 72% success rate. Calculations using these results showed that if there really is no difference in success rates between surgery and splints, then there is about a 1 in 1000 chance of getting success rates like the one obtained in this study.
a. Should we conclude that surgery is better than splints for the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome? It would be unfair to make such a conclusion. There are pieces of data missing: age of the patients, current health conditions of the patients, and prior treatments the patients had for this condition.
b. Does the result have practical significance? The study did not generate enough viable results to make it practical for any use other than to ensure that a greater investigation should be conducted to verify the differences between the two treatment methods. These results were most likely voluntary responses, making the data gained, fairly useless.
c. Should surgery be the recommended treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome? No, there is no defined level of severity for each patient. Without that information a logical recommendation for treatment cannot be assigned.
Section 1-3 Ex. 30
Cloning Survey – A Gallup poll of 1012 randomly surveyed adults found that 9% of them said cloning of humans should be allowed.
a. Identify the sample: The 1012 people surveyed, are the sample. These were the people that responded to the survey.
b. Identify the population: This would be the actual number of people the survey was sent to.
c. With such a low number of responses and only 9% of those surveyed in agreeance with cloning it is unlikely that this survey is a good representation for the populous as a whole.
Section 1-4 Ex. 18
Bad Question – The author