Question

Mazes and smells Can pleasant smells improve learning? Researchers timed 21 subjects as they tried to complete paper-and-pencil mazes. Each subject attempted a maze both with and without the presence of a floral aroma. Subjects were randomized with respect to whether they did the scented trial first or second. Some of the data collected are shown in the table. The question of interest is whether there any evidence that the floral scent improved the subjects’ ability to complete the mazes. (A. R. Hirsch and L. H. Johnston, “Odors and Learning.” Chicago: Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation) Time to Complete the Maze(sec)

Subject 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Unscented 25.7 41.9 51.9 32.2 64.7 31.4 40.1 43.2 33.9 40.4 58.0

Scented 30.2 56.7 42.4 34.4 44.8 42.9 42.7 24.8 25.1 59.2 42.2

Subject 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

Unscented 61.5 44.6 35.3 37.2 39.4 77.4 52.8 63.6 56.6 58.9

Scented 48.4 32.0 48.1 33.7 42.6 54.9 64.5 43.1 52.8 44.3

a. (1mark) Set up hypotheses to examine the question of interest to these researchers.

b. (1 mark) Is this a matched pairs design or a two independent sample design.?

c. Perform the significance test, find the appropriate 95% confidence interval and summarize your results. Be sure to state your hypotheses and justify your conclusion with both the p-value and the confidence interval

Answer 1