Question: Suppose that 800 students in Michigan State University are taking elementary statistics this semester. Two samples of size 50 are needed in order to test some pre-course skill against the same skill after the students complete the course.

a. Describe how you would obtain your samples if you were to use dependent samples.

b. Describe how you would obtain your samples if you were to use independent samples.

c. Explain why studies involving identical twins result in dependent samples of data.

d. Describe how one could select two independent samples from among his/her co-workers to compare the salaries of female and male workers.

e. Twenty people were selected to participate in a psychology experiment. They answered a short multiple-choice quiz about their attitudes on abortion and then viewed a 50-minute film. The following day the same 20 people were asked to answer a follow-up questionnaire about their attitudes. At the completion of the experiment, the experimenter will have two sets of scores. Do these two samples represent dependent or independent samples? Explain.