The most effective way to use these cases is to study them concurrently with the statistical methodology being learned. To simplify this we have grouped the cases by broad statistical topics. The relevant statistical concepts and techniques pertaining to a particular case are also noted. The cases are arranged in a sequence of topics that we follow at NYU and that is fairly typical of introductory courses.
The cases presented in the book are also classified by the amount of additional analysis needed for the resolution of the case and completion of the study. Some cases are analyzed fully and are meant to be examples or paradigms for effective analysis. These cases are marked below by an F. There are other cases where guidance is provided, in that the appropriate analysis is indicated, but not supplied. These cases are marked below by a G. The reader is expected to carry out the analysis. There is a third type of case, and these are marked below by an O. In these cases, only the data description is provided, along with background information on the context of the problem and nature of the question at issue. The reader is asked to carry out the relevant analysis in an open ended fashion. The data themselves are provided in a corresponding computer file. No analysis is provided. We believe that after having worked through F and G type cases, a reader will be able to analyze successfully the O cases.
The best way to use the F cases is to carry out the analysis described in the text interactively on a computer, to verify statements and conclusions made during the analysis. This direct involvement with the analysis will generate the ability and confidence to analyze cases marked G and O.
The data for each of the cases are contained in the diskette accompanying this book. The files are in text format (ASCII), and can be imported and analyzed using virtually any standard available software. A brief description of each file is given in the appendix "Descriptions of the data files" and should be consulted as a preliminary step in each analysis.
Given below are the cases, grouped by their relevant statistical concepts and classified by the degree of analysis already presented in the case. Cases marked with the symbol "->" are F cases that contain a good deal of material for that general area (e.g., Data Analysis), although they also contain material from more advanced areas (e.g., Statistical Inference). For example, the case "The flight of the space shuttle Challenger" appears in the "Data Analysis" section with the symbol "->" because it contains a good deal of material appropriate for "Data Analysis," although it is "officially" an F case under "Applied Probability."
F Eruptions of the "Old Faithful" geyser 5 F International adoption rates 13 G The performance of stock mutual funds 21 O Predicting the sales and airplay of popular music 23 O Another look at the "Old Faithful" geyser and adoption visas 24 F Productivity versus quality in the assembly plant 25 O Health care spending in the United States 32 Applied Probability -> The flight of the space shuttle Challenger 33 Statistical Inference -> Volume and weight from a vineyard harvest 86 -> Baseball free agency: do teams get what they pay for? 101 -> Reporting of sexual partners by men and women 113 -> The comparative volatility of stock exchanges 123 Analysis involving Regression -> Emergency calls to the New York Auto Club 145 -> Purchasing power parity: is it true? 153 -> PCB contamination of U.S. bays and estuaries 164 -> Electricity usage, temperature and occupancy 177 -> The effectiveness of National Basketball Association guards 201 -> The possibility of voting fraud in an election 213 -> The birth of a beluga whale 256
F The flight of the space shuttle Challenger 33
F Random drug and disease testing 37
G Amniocentesis, blood tests, and Down's syndrome 41
G Perceptions of the New York City subway system:
safety and cleanliness 43
O Perceptions of the New York City subway system: other issues 47
F The Central Limit Theorem for census data 48
F The sampling distribution for the median 59
F The sampling distribution for the standard deviation 67
F Racial imbalance in Nassau County public schools 72
Statistical Inference
-> Air bags and types of automobiles 134
-> A further look at the reporting of sexual partners
by men and women 137
F The return on stocks in the Over the Counter market 82
F Volume and weight from a vineyard harvest 86
O The performance of stock mutual funds compared to the
market as a whole 99
O The return on stocks in the New York Stock Exchange 100
F Baseball free agency: do teams get what they pay for? 101
O Baseball free agency: another look at player effectiveness 112
F Reporting of sexual partners by men and women 113
F The comparative volatility of stock exchanges 123
G Validity of t-testing for the sexual partners reported
by men and women 129
O Subgroups in the "Old Faithful" geyser data 130
O Mortgage rates for different types of mortgages 131
F Condom use and the prevention of AIDS 132
F Air bags and types of automobiles 134
F A further look at the reporting of sexual partners
by men and women 137
O Betting on professional football -- can you beat the bookies? 142
O Formal investigation of the perceptions of the New York City
subway system 144
Analysis involving Regression
-> Emergency calls to the New York Auto Club 145
-> PCB contamination of U.S. bays and estuaries 164
F Emergency calls to the New York Auto Club 145
F Purchasing power parity: is it true? 153
F PCB contamination of U.S. bays and estuaries 164
F Electricity usage, temperature and occupancy 177
G Long and short term performance of stock mutual funds 185
F Estimating rates of return of investments 186
O Predicting international adoption visas from earlier years 189
O The pattern in employment rates over time 190
F Estimating a demand function 191
F The effectiveness of National Basketball Association guards 201
F The possibility of voting fraud in an election 213
G Purchasing power parity and high inflation countries 222
G Prediction of the time interval between "Old Faithful" eruptions 224
G The success of teams in the National Hockey League 227
G The effectiveness of NBA guards: assists per minute 230
O The effectiveness of NBA guards: beyond points and assists 232
O Another look at emergency calls to the New York Auto Club 233
O Subgroups in the electricity consumption data 234
O A closer look at productivity and quality in the assembly plant 235
O Predicting mortgage rates for different types of mortgages 236
F Better prediction of the yield in a small vineyard 237
G Incomes of Long Island communities 247
G Looking more deeply into the average weight per lug
from a vineyard 250
O Predicting incomes of Long Island communities 252
G Prediction of yields from partial harvesting in a small vineyard 253
F The birth of a beluga whale 256
F Estimating a demand function -- it's about time 276
G A comparison of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and
the S & P 500 index 283
O Further investigation of the DJIA and the S & P 500 index 285