Statistics solution for mean difference:

A developmental psychologist would like to determine how much fine motor skill improves for children from age 3 to age 4. A random sample of n=15 3 year old children and a second sample of n=15 4 year olds are obtained. Each child is given a manual dexterity test that measures fine motor skills. The average score for the older children was M=40.6 with SS=430 and the average for the younger children was M=35.4 with SS =410. Using these data, a) Make a point of estimate of the population mean difference in fine motor skills. b) Make an interval estimate so you are 95% confident that the real mean difference is in your interval. c) Make an interval estimate so you are 99% confident that the real mean difference is in your interval. d) Based on your answers from b and c, do these data indicate a significant change using a two tailed test with =.05? Is the difference significant with =.01?

Solution: a) The point estimate is M1 M2 = 40.6 35.4 = 5.2 b) Pooled variance, Sp = (SS1 + SS2)/ (n1 + n2) = (430 + 410)/ (15 + 15) = 28 95% confidence interval is given by:(M1 M2) Z (/2) x Sp (1/n1 + 1/n2) 5.2 1.96 x 28 (1/15 + 1/15) 5.2 1.96 x 1.932 5.2 3.79 1.41, 8.99 c) 99% confidence interval is given by:-

(M1 M2) Z (/2) x Sp (1/n1 + 1/n2) 5.2 2.58 x 28 (1/15 + 1/15)

5.2 2.58 x 1.932 5.2 4.98 0.22, 10.18 d) Since zero does not lie within the confidence interval in part b and part c, therefore the data does indicate a significant change at a = 0.05 and a = 0.01.

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