Assignment 2: Power

Due Feb. 15(A2&B2) & Feb.17(C2)

 TO BE COMPLETED INDIVIDUALLY

 

For this assignment, you will use the simulation site (http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~lane/stat_sim/index.html) you used for Assignment 1.

 

1)      You are conducting a between-subjects test with an n of 15, Population Mean A = 50 and Population Mean B = 36.  The standard deviation is 21. 

 

a.       Calculate the effect size of these data (show your work). (2 marks)

 

b.      What is your Type II error rate (show your work)? (2 marks)

 

2)      You are conducting a between-subjects test with an n of 15, Population Mean A = 50 and Population Mean B = 43.  The standard deviation is 21. 

 

a.       Calculate the effect size of these data (show your work). (2 marks)

 

b.      What is your Type II error rate (show your work)? (2 marks)

 

3)      Compare the results that you obtained for questions 1 and 2.  What is the relationship between effect size and power? (2 marks)

 

4)      You are conducting a between-subjects test with an n of 15, Population Mean A = 5 and Population Mean B = 2.  The standard deviation is 9. 

 

a.       Calculate the effect size of these data (show your work). (2 marks)

 

b.      What is your Type II error rate (show your work)? (2 marks)

 

5)      Now assume that you have an effect size of 1.  How many participants (approx.) would you need to have power of .95 in a between-subjects experiment? (1 mark)

 

6)      Assume that you have an effect size of 0.7.  How many participants (approx.) would you need to have power of .95 in a between-subjects experiment? (1 mark)

 

7)      Assume that you have an effect size of 0.3.  How many participants (approx.) would you need to have power of .95 in a between-subjects experiment? (1 mark)

 

8)      Compare the number of participants you needed in questions 5, 6 and 7.  What does this tell you about the relationship between the number of participants required in an experiment and effect size? (3 marks)

 

9)      What is the relationship between power and sample size? (2 marks)

 

10)  Would you expect the Type II error to be greater in a study with 20 participants or 100 participants (assuming all other things are equal)?  Explain your reasoning. (2 marks)

 

11)  Assume that you have an effect size of 0.6.  How many participants would you need to have power of .95 in a within-subjects experiment with:

 

a.       rho = 0? (1 mark)

b.      rho = 0.5? (1 mark)

c.       rho = 0.9? (1 mark)

 

12)  What is the relationship between rho and power? (2 marks) 

 

13)  In general, would you expect a within-subjects design or a between-subjects design to be more powerful?  Explain your reasoning. (2 marks)

 

14)  Enter the following information into the appropriate spaces on the simulation page: N = 32, Pop Mean A = 67, Pop Mean B = 54, rho = 0, sd = 26.  What is the effect size (show your calculation)?  Now conduct both a between-subject simulation and a within-subject simulation.  Which test is more powerful?  Why? (3 marks)

 

15)  Your little brother just brought home his report card and he received a grade of 45% in reading.  It is clear that he is having trouble and you decide to look into programs that will help him improve his reading.  You request information from two different reading programs.  One program, Reading is Fun, sends you information regarding the effectiveness of their program.  You also receive information regarding the effectiveness of a new program on the market, Phonix.  Both programs conducted stats on the pre-program and post-program performance, in the form of a t-test examining % grade improvement in reading, and have provided the p values from their respective tests. The information you obtained is listed below. 

 

Reading is Fun                                   Phonix

n = 3560                                              n = 15

sd = 20                                                            sd = 20

effect size = 0.12                                  effect size = 0.85

p = .001                                               p = .035

 

What would your little brother’s final reading grade be after the implementation of each program, assuming his improvements were typical or average (show your calculations)?  (4 marks)

 

Which program would you select for your little brother (assume the programs cost the same amount)?  Explain your reasoning. (2 marks)