Last Year, the Average Math SAT Score for Students at One

question 118

Essay

Last year, the average math SAT score for students at one school was 475. The headmaster introduced new
teaching methods hoping to improve scores. This year, the mean math SAT score for a sample of students was
481. Is there statistically significant evidence that the new teaching method is effective? If the teaching method
had no effect, there would be roughly a 3 in 10 chance of seeing such an increase. Does the result have
statistical significance? Why or why not? Does the result have practical significance?

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Definitions:

Psychoanalysis

A therapeutic technique and theory of psychology developed by Sigmund Freud, focusing on unconscious processes.

Hypnosis

A trance-like state of focused attention and heightened suggestibility, with diminished peripheral awareness, often induced by a therapeutic process.

Prozac

A brand name for fluoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) used to treat depression, OCD, and several other psychological conditions.

Antidepressant

A type of medication designed to alleviate symptoms of depressive disorders by modifying brain chemistry.