A cat lover wants to know if cats have color vision. She teaches her cat to press a green button to obtain a food reward. She then gives the cat a choice between a green and a red button, but only rewards it when it presses the red button. Position of the button is controlled for. The cat is given several practice trials, and then tested 15 times. If the cat cannot distinguish between red and green, what is the probability that it will push the red button at least 12 times out of 15?
A) 0.0139
B) 0.0176
C) 0.0593
D) 0.0037

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

If the cat cannot distinguish between red and green, each choice is random, giving a 1/2 chance of pressing the red button. The probability of pressing the red button at least 12 times out of 15 can be calculated using the binomial probability formula. The sum of probabilities for exactly 12, 13, 14, and 15 successes (red button presses) out of 15 trials, each with a success probability of 0.5, gives the correct answer. Calculating these probabilities and summing them gives a result closest to option B, 0.0176.

A Cat Lover Wants to Know If Cats Have Color