Richard Simmons wants to know whether his original weight-loss system (Simmons I)is as effective as his new weight-loss system (Simmons II).His results indicate that people on Simmons I lose an average of 28.5 pounds in six months and people on Simmons II lose an average of 30.1 pounds in six months.What type of statistics should Richard use to see if the Simmons II system is really better than the Simmons I system?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Richard should use inferential statistics to determine whether there is a significant difference between the two weight-loss systems. Inferential statistics involve making inferences about a larger population based on a sample of data, which would allow Richard to determine whether the difference in weight loss between the two systems is likely due to chance or to a real difference in effectiveness. Descriptive statistics (B) would not be sufficient to make this determination, as they only summarize and describe the data without making any inferences. The mean (C) is a measure of central tendency that could be used to compare the average weight loss between the two systems, but it alone would not provide enough information to determine whether the difference was statistically significant. The mode (D), which is the most common value in a set of data, would not be useful in this case as the weight loss values are continuous and not likely to have a clear mode.

Richard Simmons Wants to Know Whether His Original Weight-Loss System