Experiments

STAT 20: Introduction to Probability and Statistics

Agenda

• A Matter of Taste II
• Principles of Experimental Design

A Matter of Taste II

Please:

1. Conduct your experiment
2. Record your data
3. Complete and submit part II as a group

If you don’t finish in the allotted time, finish up after class.

60:00

Principles of Experimental Design

The Essential Question of Our Time

Which is the best flavor?

This purely for fun. Some people have strong opinions about this.

Could your taster distinguish between flavors?

A. Yes, and it was statistically significant (p < .05).
B. Yes, but it was not statistically significant (p > .05).
C. No.
D. We tested a different claim.

The goal of this question is to allow all groups to concisely share their results with the class. It also opens up the conversation about how there were many different ways to carry out this experiment. Two groups might have come to different conclusions because their tasters really had different abilities, or because their claims and experiments were slightly different, or just due to random chance.

You may want to project 1 or 2 protocols and ask the groups to talk through how they uses the principles of experimental design.