11D Coreq

In the next preview assignment and in the next class, you will learn to write the conclusion of a hypothesis test in context.

Communicating in Math and Statistics

In the Resource Writing Principles, you are introduced to the idea of how to write short responses and sentences in this course. There are four principles introduced in this document, but the key idea overall is that you should be able to effectively communicate ideas. While the tools that you are learning in this course rely on mathematical principles, ultimately the goal is to use analytical skills to convey information to someone who may not have any mathematical or statistical background.

In hypothesis testing, we use mathematical symbols to express the null and alternative hypotheses statements. However, it is important to remember that mathematical symbols represent words.

Question 1

Consider the equals sign, [latex]=[/latex]. Without using the word “equal,” come up with at least two alternate explanations of what this symbol means.

Question 2

Now, consider the greater than symbol, [latex]>[/latex]. Without using the word “greater,” come up with at least two alternate explanations of what this symbol means.

Question 3

Now, consider the less than symbol, [latex]<[/latex]. Without using the words “less than,” come up with at least two alternate explanations of what this symbol means.

Question 4

Now, consider the not equal to symbol,[latex]\neq[/latex] . Without using the words “not equal,” come up with at least two alternate explanations of what this symbol means.

When we write the conclusion of a hypothesis test, we write the statement in a complete sentence, often referring back to both the variable of interest and the population being studied. This borrows from Principle 2 in the Resource Writing Principles, which explains that a complete sentence should be able to stand on its own and all relevant information should be in the answer.

Question 5

Consider the statement, “The data show that the difference between them is at least 10.”

Is this statement complete? Does it stand on its own? Explain.

Question 6

Consider the following two statements. Which statement do you think is written more clearly? Explain.