DECK 6 UNIT 3 PART B Flashcards
What is the sure way to assign treatments correctly?
throw names in hat and first half in group 1 and the rest group 2. . Or number subjects from 1-n and use randint until you get half for group 1.
How are we using random numbers in experiments vs studies?
In a study, we randomly choose subjects to survey from the population as a whole. In an expermint we randomly assign subjects to treatment groups
How are we making inferences differently in experiments vs studies?
In observaional studies, you make and inference about the population, in an experiment you make an inference about a treatment.
How are we manipulating the environment differently in experiments and studies?
No manipulation or treatments in an observational study. You only manipulate environment in an experminet.
How are we proving causation in experiments and obs studies?
No causation in a study, maybe association or correlation. ONLY EXPERIMENTS SHOW CAUSATION.
How do we use representative samples in experiments and studies?
You don’t need a representative sample in an experiment. You are not making inferences about a population, just about a treatment.
What is the difference between confounding and lurking?
Confounding is in experiments, like sunlight confounding a fertilizer experiment. Lurking is when you think hot chocolate causes ski accidents. “lurking”is actually a word not even used in AP STATS.
What is wrong with using voluteers in an experiment?
Not much. In an experiment, we are not looking for a sample that is like the population. We just want to see the effectiveness of a treatment. It is fine if the subjects are all similar. In fact it is best sometimes when they are!
What is a control group?
The group that doesn’t get a treatment (or gets the old treatment). It helps us see the impact of the environment. It gets the placebo or standard care but goes through all of the motions
Give example of confounding variable.
fertilizer A vs B. If you have two tables in a room with tomato plants and and one table gets A and the other gets B, but later you realize that the table with A was near the windows. You say that SUNLIGHT IS A CONFOUNDING VARIABLE in that experiment.
In the fertilizer experiment, how could you plan to eliminate the confounding variable?
USING RANDOMIZED BLOCK DESIGN. Make each table a block, and then randomly assign fertilzer A and B to the plants at each table. Compare the fertilizers for table 1, then compare the fertilizers on table 2.
Why does it make sense to double-blind an experiment?
It reduces bias in an experiment. If subjects don’t know what treatment they’re receiving, they won’t change their habits based on that knowledge. If evaluators don’t know which treatment each subject is receiving, they won’t bias the true results based on the results they expect to see
4 INGREDIENTS TO EXPERIMENTS
Compare, control , randomization, replication (and BLOCKING when you need to)
4 ingredients: What is “compare?”
Having something to compare your treatment with helps you see its effectiveness.
4 ingredients: What is “control?”
You want to control the environment as best as you can so that the only difference between groups is the treatment, and the treatment only. Everything else should be similar.
4 ingredients: What is “BLOCKING?”
If you think different groups of subjects may respond differently to treatments because of location, gender, age, then you make BLOCKS, and make sure to compare the treatments within each block.
4 ingredients: What is “replication?”
Having plenty of subjects in each treatment group. You don’t want to test fertilizer on just one plant.
4 ingredients: What is “randomization?”
You want to randomly assign subjects to treatment groups.