Question

Statistical Significance and Practical Significance. In Exercises 13–16, determine whether the results appear to have statistical significance, and also determine whether the results appear to have practical significance.

Gender Selection In a study of the Gender Aide method of gender selection used to increase the likelihood of a baby being born a girl, 2000 users of the method gave birth to 980 boys and 1020 girls. There is about a 19% chance of getting that many girls if the method had no effect.

Short answer

The results seem to have neither statistical nor practical significance.

Step-by-step solution

Given information

The number of users in the gender aide method is 2000.

The number of boys born was 980, while girls was 1020.

The chances of getting 1020 girls will be 19% if the Gender Aide method is known to have no effect.

Explanation for statistical significance

Statistical significance is achieved if, under the assumption of no effect condition, the results are highly unlikely.

In the study of gender selection, assuming the Gender Aide method has no effect, there are 19% chances that 1020 girls were born.

The general condition for a rare event is a probability of 0.05 or less(5% or less).

Thus, it can be concluded that the result has no statistical significance.

Explanation for practical significance

Practical significance is the meaningfulness of the result. It is interpreted most generally in cases where the result establishes statistically significant results.

Since the result states that 1020 girls were born out of 2000, the associated percentage is close to 51%. As per the percentage value, there is no clear view of the meaningfulness of the results.

This is because the percentage of girls is close to 50%. Also, there is no convincing evidence that the method helps in increasing the percentage of girls.