Suppose Dr.Spock found that a sample of humans showed more emotional reactions than a sample of Vulcan aliens.How could Dr.Spock be sure that the results weren't due to chance alone?
A)He could use descriptive statistics.
B)He could use inferential statistics.
C)He could measure the variability of the scores in each group.
D)He could re-test both samples and see if he finds the same results again.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Inferential statistics would allow Dr. Spock to analyze the data and calculate the probability of obtaining such a difference in emotional reactions between humans and Vulcans by chance alone. This would involve hypothesis testing and calculating p-values. Descriptive statistics, such as measures of central tendency and variability, would provide information about the sample but cannot infer whether the results are due to chance or a true difference between the populations. Option C is also not sufficient on its own because variability alone does not indicate whether the difference between the groups is significant. Re-testing both samples may provide replication but does not address the issue of chance alone.