A University Lecturer Claims That Students Who Attend Lecturers Score

question 21

Essay

A university lecturer claims that students who attend lecturers score a higher final mark in her course than students who watch the lecture recordings online. The lecturer takes a random sample of the final marks of 40 students who attended her university lectures and found their average mark was 65 with a standard deviation of 5. The lecturer takes a random sample of 30 university students who watched the lecture recordings online and found their average mark was 60 with a standard deviation of 8. Is there significant evidence to support this university lecturer's claim? Test at the 5% level of significance, assuming that the population variances are unequal.

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Definitions:

Behavioral Economics

The branch of economic theory that combines insights from economics, psychology, and biology to make more accurate predictions about human behavior than conventional neoclassical economics, which is hampered by its core assumptions that people are fundamentally rational and almost entirely self-interested. Behavioral economics can explain framing effects, anchoring, mental accounting, the endowment effect, status quo bias, time inconsistency, and loss aversion.

Harmful Decisions

Choices made by individuals or entities that result in negative consequences or damage.

Neoclassical Economics

The dominant and conventional branch of economic theory that attempts to predict human behavior by building economic models based on simplifying assumptions about people’s motives and capabilities. These include that people are fundamentally rational; motivated almost entirely by self-interest; good at math; and unaffected by heuristics, time inconsistency, and self-control problems.

Rational Decision

Made when an individual, with clear set objectives, uses logic and all available information to choose the best possible outcome from various alternatives.