Part 1: Describe three research questions that could be addressed using a DEPENDENT samples t-test. Pick one research question to test, and describe a study that could be used to investigate that research question. Describe what the null hypothesis and alternative hypothesis would be. Then discuss at least one Type 1 and one Type II error that might surface when conducting hypothesis testing.
Part 2: Describe three research questions that could be tested using an INDEPENDENT samples t-test. Pick one research question to test, and describe a study that could be used to investigate that research question. Describe what the null hypothesis and alternative hypothesis would be. Then discuss at least one Type 1 and one Type II error that might surface when conducting hypothesis testing.
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
Part 1:
Three research questions that could be addressed using a dependent samples t-test are:
Does a new teaching method improve students’ test scores?
Is there a significant difference in anxiety levels before and after a stress reduction intervention?
Does a new medication lead to a decrease in symptoms for patients with a specific medical condition?
For this response, I will focus on the first research question: “Does a new teaching method improve students’ test scores?”
Study description: To investigate this research question, a study can be conducted where two groups of students are randomly assigned. Group A receives traditional teaching methods, while Group B is exposed to the new teaching method. Both groups take the same pre-test to establish a baseline of their existing knowledge. After a specified period, both groups take a post-test to measure their test scores.
Null hypothesis (H0): There is no difference in test scores between students exposed to the new teaching method and those taught using traditional methods. Alternative hypothesis (Ha): The new teaching method improves students’ test scores compared to traditional teaching methods.
Type I error: A Type I error occurs when the null hypothesis is rejected, even though it is true. In this scenario, it would mean concluding that the new teaching method improves test scores when it actually does not. This error leads to false positive results.
Type II error: A Type II error occurs when the null hypothesis is not rejected, even though it is false. In this case, it would mean failing to conclude that the new teaching method improves test scores when it actually does. This error leads to false negative results.
Part 2:
Three research questions that could be tested using an independent samples t-test are:
Is there a significant difference in job satisfaction between employees who work remotely and those who work in-office?
Does a new weight loss program lead to more weight loss compared to an existing program?
Is there a significant difference in customer satisfaction ratings between two competing brands?
For this response, I will focus on the first research question: “Is there a significant difference in job satisfaction between employees who work remotely and those who work in-office?”
Study description: To investigate this research question, a study can be conducted where two groups of employees are selected: one group that works remotely and another that works in-office. Both groups complete a job satisfaction survey that measures various aspects of their job satisfaction. The scores from each group can then be compared using an independent samples t-test.
Null hypothesis (H0): There is no difference in job satisfaction between employees who work remotely and those who work in-office. Alternative hypothesis (Ha): Employees who work remotely have higher job satisfaction compared to those who work in-office.
Type I error: A Type I error occurs when the null hypothesis is rejected, even though it is true. In this case, it would mean concluding that remote employees have higher job satisfaction when they actually do not. This error leads to false positive results.
