Question

You are an education researcher interested in studying if race or ethnicity affects the severity of punishment children receive. Through open records, you are able to collect from several high schools the length of suspensions given to kids for fighting along with the race/ethnicity of the child. The state of Texas divides school children into one of 7 race/ethnicity groups: African American, American Indian, Asian, Hispanic, Pacific Islander, White, or Multiracial. You want to compare the average length of suspension among these 7 groups. Which statistical test would be best to determine if there is a significant difference in the severity of punishment among the different groups?

a. one-sample t-test
b. related samples t-test
c. independent samples t-test
d. ANOVA

Answer 1

ANOVA is the best statistical test to determine if there is a significant difference in the severity of punishment among different race/ethnicity groups.

Step-by-step explanation:

The statistical test that would be best to determine if there is a significant difference in the severity of punishment among the different race/ethnicity groups is ANOVA (Analysis of Variance).

ANOVA is used to compare means across three or more groups. In this case, there are seven race/ethnicity groups. By conducting an ANOVA, you can determine if there is a significant difference in the average length of suspension among these groups.

ANOVA takes into account the variability within each group and between groups, allowing you to assess if the differences in average length of suspension are due to chance or if there is a true difference among the groups.