9.2 Tests for one mean

In 2011, Eagle Boys' Pizza ran a campaign that claimed that Eagle Boys' pizzas were 'Real size \(12\)-inch large pizzas' (Dunn 2012). Eagle Boys' made the data from the campaign publicly available.

A summary of the diameters of a sample of \(125\) of their large pizzas is shown in Fig. 9.1 (jamovi) and Fig. 9.2 (SPSS). We would like to test the company's claim, and ask the RQ:

For Eagle Boys' pizzas, is mean diameter actually \(12\) inches, or not?

Summary statistics for the diameter of Eagle Boys' large pizzas; jamovi

FIGURE 9.1: Summary statistics for the diameter of Eagle Boys' large pizzas; jamovi

Summary statistics for the diameter of Eagle Boys' large pizzas; SPSS, slightly edited

FIGURE 9.2: Summary statistics for the diameter of Eagle Boys' large pizzas; SPSS, slightly edited

  1. What is the parameter of interest?
  2. Write down the values of \(\bar{x}\) and \(s\).
  3. Determine the value of the standard error of the mean.
  4. Explain the difference in meaning between \(s\) and \(\text{s.e.}(\bar{x})\) in this context.
  5. Write the hypotheses to test if the mean pizza diameter is \(12\) inches.
  6. Is the alternative hypothesis one- or two-tailed? Why?
  7. Draw the normal distribution that shows how the sample mean pizza diameter would vary by chance, even if the population mean diameter was 12 inches.
  8. Compute the \(t\)-score for testing the hypotheses.
  9. What is the approximate \(P\)-value using the \(68\)--\(95\)--\(99.7\) rule?
  10. Write a conclusion. (The CI was found in the Teaching Week 7 tutorial.)
  11. Is it reasonable to assume the statistical validity conditions are satisfied? (Fig. 9.3 may, or may not, help.)
  12. Do you think that the pizzas do have a mean diameter of 12 inches in the population, as Eagle Boys' claim? Explain.
Histogram for the diameter of Eagle Boys' large pizzas

FIGURE 9.3: Histogram for the diameter of Eagle Boys' large pizzas

References

Dunn PK. Assessing claims made by a pizza chain. Journal of Statistical Education [Internet]. 2012;20(1). Available from: www.amstat.org/publications/jse/v20n1/dunn.pdf.