Question

Scenario 1.

Mr. Bossypants thinks that the tone in which he speaks to his employees changes how fast the employee complete their task. Mr Bossypants believes that using a pleasant and calm tone will result in his employees completing their task slower. To test this idea he speaks to half of his staff in a pleasant and calm tone. To the other half of his staff he speaks in a stern and annoyed tone. He records the speed at which the task is completed.

For the scenarios answer the following:

a. State the independent (or quasi-independent) variable

b. State the dependent variable

c. Should the alternative hypothesis be one-tailed or two-tailed? Explain why.

d. State the null hypothesis

e. State the appropriate alternative hypothesis

Answer 1

a) independent variable - speaking in pleasant and calm tone vs stern and annoyed tone

b) dependent variable - speed at which task is completed

c) this is one-tailed as we want to test if using a pleasant and calm tone will result in his employees completing their task slower. Note that slower gives sense of direction (left-tailed)

d)

1- speaking in pleasant and calm tone

2 - stern and annoyed tone

e)

Please rate if helpful