Math 117 Computer Lab Assignment – Relationships Between Two Variables

(Due at the beginning of lab next week – 1/25 or 1/27)

Consider the data in the DrinkingStudyUpdated—discussed in detail during lab—and the data in the StateData.sav file (in lab you should have copied both theses file to your account). The StateData.sav file includes recent data from the Statistical Abstract of the United States (several variables measured on all fifty states). The variables are defined as follows:

violent crime rate: number of murders, forcible rapes, robberies, and aggravated assaults per 100,000 people in the population

murder rate: the number of murders per 100,000 people in the population

metropolitan%: percentage of the population living in metropolitan areas

white%: percentage of the population who are white

graduate%: percentage of the population who are high school graduates or higher

poverty%: percentage of families living below the poverty level

single parent%: percentage of families headed by a single parent

state: state abbreviation

region: region of the country (west, midwest, northeast, south, or pacific), as defined by the census bureau

Using PASW Statistics to aid your analysis (don’t do these by hand), answer the following questions (be sure to include units with your numerical answers). It might be easiest for you to cut-and-paste PASW output into Word and type your comments around that output—that is, you might want to create a Word document for this assignment, rather than writing directly on this sheet.

First consider the DrinkingStudyUpdated data file.

Consider the relationship between “Self-Reported Rough GPA” and “Driven After Drinking Alcohol?”. Does GPA impact decisions about drunk driving—for example, are A-students less likely to drink and drive? Or does GPA not affect whether someone drinks after driving? Create an appropriate graph or numerical table in PASW Statistics (calculate percentages—of responses to the drunk driving question—for each level of GPA). Turn in this graph (or table) and briefly comment on the relationship (or lack of relationship):

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Now consider the relationship between “Fraternity or Sorority Member” and “Rode with a Designated Driver?” Are students in fraternities or sororities more (or less) likely to ride with a designated driver? Create an appropriate graph or numerical table in PASW Statistics (calculate percentages—of responses to the ride-with-a-DD question—for each level (yes and no) of fraternity/sorority status). Turn in this graph (or table) and briefly comment on the relationship (or lack of relationship):

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Now consider the StateData data file.

i) How many states are in each region of the country (as defined by the census bureau)? ii) How might your answer to part (i) impact your interpretation of numerical summaries by region? (Specifically think about the Pacific region).

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Consider the distribution of murder rate, separately for the different regions of the country. Specifically, create side-by-side boxplots of murder rate (separately for each region). Turn in this graph and briefly describe the similarities and differences in the murder rate distributions (think center, spread, deviations):

_____________________________________________________________________________________