Question

Can texting make you healthier? Researchers randomly assigned $700$Australian adults

to either receive usual health care or usual heath care plus automated text messages with

positive messages, such as “Walking is cheap. It can be done almost anywhere. All you

need is comfortable shoes and clothing.” The group that received the text messages

showed a statistically significant increase in physical activity“statistically significant” in this context?

a. The results of this study are very important.

b. The results of this study should be generalized to all people.

c. The difference in physical activity for the two groups is greater than $0$.

d. The difference in physical activity for the two groups is very large.

e. The difference in physical activity for the two groups is larger than the difference

that could be expected to happen by chance alone.

Short answer

The correct option is:

e. The difference in physical activity for the two groups is larger than the difference that could be expected to happen by chance alone.

Step-by-step solution

Given information

We have been given four options from which we have to select the correct one.

a. The results of this study are very important.

b. The results of this study should be generalized to all people.

c. The difference in physical activity for the two groups is greater than.

d. The difference in physical activity for the two groups is very large.

e. The difference in physical activity for the two groups is larger than the difference

that could be expected to happen by chance alone.

Explanation

Researchers from the University of Michigan's Department of Family Medicine have shown that, in addition to facilitating everyday dialogue, texting can help people adopt healthier behaviours and make it easier for health researchers to collect data.