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AP Statistics: An Overview. Cell Phones and Driving Research from the University of Utah. Video: The New York Times Distracted Driving Experiment : Deliberately imposes some treatment on individuals to observe their responses. What is the role of statistics?.
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Cell Phones and DrivingResearch from the University of Utah Video: The New York Times Distracted Driving Experiment: Deliberately imposes some treatment on individuals to observe their responses
What is the role of statistics? • To pass laws against cell phone use in cars, evidence must be produced which proves cell phones are detrimental to safety • It is not enough to infer from convenient observations that it “seems like people on cell phones are more distracted than other drivers”
Tanning Beds and Cancer Research • NPR Morning Edition: Tanning Beds Substantially Raise Skin Cancer Risks • Observational Study: observes individuals and measures variables of interest but does not attempt to influence the response.
Which type of study is better? • An experiment is better because it enables the researcher to control for some of the confounding variables. • If we simply observe drivers who get in accidents when they are on their cell phones, what variables might get in the way? • Weather, type of road, how many people are in the car, type of car
Gallup Polls • Regularly conducts public opinion polls in more than 140 countries • Reliable data since survey methods involve random sampling and careful wording of questions • www.gallup.com
Population vs. Sample • Population: the entire group of individuals that we want information about • Sample: the part of the population that we will actually examine in order to gather information • Find an interesting Gallup Poll and determine the sample and the population
AP Statistics Data Collection • https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dGFxc3RnTmpVeXFfMDRJMlhRM0xLenc6MQ • Visit my Web Page to find the link