Question

Layoffs and “survivor guilt” Workers who survive a layoff of other employees at their location may suffer from “survivor guilt.” A study of survivor guilt and its effects used as subjects $120$students who were offered an opportunity to earn extra course credit by doing proofreading. Each subject worked in the same cubicle as another student, who was an accomplice of the experimenters. At a break midway through the work, one of three things happened:

Treatment $1$: The accomplice was told to leave; it was explained that this was because she performed poorly.

Treatment $2$: It was explained that unforeseen circumstances meant there was only enough work for one person. By “chance,” the accomplice was chosen to be laid off.

Treatment $3$: Both students continued to work after the break. The subjects’ work performance after the break was compared with their performance before the break. Overall, subjects worked harder when told the other student’s dismissal was random.

Describe how you would randomly assign the subjects to the treatments

a. using slips of paper.

b. using technology.

c. using Table D.

Short answer

Part(a) Write all the numbers seperately by using slips of paper.

Part(b) We can assign three treatments to different volunteers at random using technology.

Part(c) Give each pupil a different number by using Table D.

Step-by-step solution

Part(a) Step 1 : Given information

We need to randomly assign the subjects to the treatments using slips of paper.

Part(a) Step 2 : Simplify

Write the digits $1,2,3$on separate pieces of paper.
Arrange the sheets on a table, numbers facing down.
Mix the sheets together until you can't tell which number belongs where on the table.
Choose one of the slips of paper and apply the treatment that corresponds to the number to the subject.
Continue until all of the subjects have been given a therapy.

Part(b) Step 1 : Given information

We need to randomly assign the subjects to the treatments using technology.

Part(b) Step 2 : Simplify

The researchers investigated the effects of survivor guilt on employees when their coworkers are laid off from the company in this study.
As a result, it is assumed that there are $120$ students.
Give each pupil a different number between $1$and $120$.
Using technology, we must randomly allocate the participants to the treatment.
This can be accomplished in the following ways:
To do so, create $40$random numbers ranging from $1$to $120$in Excel and assign them to treatment $1$.
Use the $=$RANDBETWEEN $(1,120)$ function.
Ignore the recurrences.
Select $40$(unique) students for treatment $2$in the same way (who were not in the group for treatment $1$ ).
Treatment $3$will be given to the remaining $40$ kids.

Part(c) Step 1 : Given information

We need to randomly assign the subjects to the treatments using Table D.

Part(c) Step 2 : Simplify

As a result, it is assumed that there are $120$ students.
Give each pupil a different number between $1$ and $120$.
Using Table D, we must assign the participants to the treatment at random.
This can be accomplished in the following ways:
To begin, select a row from table D.
Choose a three-digit number as the first.
If the number is between $001$and $120$, choose the student from treatment $1$; otherwise, move on to the next three-digit number.
For treatment $1$, $40$ (unique) pupils from the repeat unit have been chosen.
Select $40$(unique) students for treatment $2$(who were not in the treatment $1$group). The remaining $40$students will be assigned to treatment $3$.