Question

Studies are often done by pharmaceutical companies to determine the effectiveness of a treatment program. Suppose that a new AIDS antibody drug is currently under study. It is given to patients once the AIDS symptoms have revealed themselves. Of interest is the average (mean) length of time in months patients live once they start the treatment. Two researchers each follow a different set of 40 patients with AIDS from the start of treatment until their deaths. The following data (in months) are collected.

Researcher A:

3; 4; 11; 15; 16; 17; 22; 44; 37; 16; 14; 24; 25; 15; 26; 27; 33; 29; 35; 44; 13; 21; 22; 10; 12; 8; 40; 32; 26; 27; 31; 34; 29; 17; 8; 24; 18; 47; 33; 34

Researcher B:

3; 14; 11; 5; 16; 17; 28; 41; 31; 18; 14; 14; 26; 25; 21; 22; 31; 2; 35; 44; 23; 21; 21; 16; 12; 18; 41; 22; 16; 25; 33; 34; 29; 13; 18; 24; 23; 42; 33; 29

Determine what the key terms refer to in the example for Researcher A.

parameter

Short answer

The parameter for Researcher A is the average (mean) length of time (in months) patients live once the treatment starts.

Step-by-step solution

Concept Introduction

The parameter in statistics refers to the numerical characteristic of the population that is to be estimated. For example, suppose the researcher wants to determine the average income of people in the United States aged 18 to 60. The average income of all people aged 18 to 60 years is then used as the parameter for the population under investigation.

Explanation

For Researcher A, we have data in the given question about the average (mean) length of time in months that AIDS patients live once they begin treatment. The data is given below as:

Researcher A:

3; 4; 11; 15; 16; 17; 22; 44; 37; 16; 14; 24; 25; 15; 26; 27; 33; 29; 35; 44; 13; 21; 22; 10; 12; 8; 40; 32; 26; 27; 31; 34; 29; 17; 8; 24; 18; 47; 33; 34

Hence, the average (mean) length of time in months that the AIDS patients live after the treatment starts is the parameter in this case.

Final answer

The average (mean) length of time (in months) that the AIDS patients live once the treatment begins is the parameter in the given scenario.