Fitness experts advise people who want to lose weight to drink protein shakes after workout sessions because it helps build muscle mass and speeds up the weight-loss process. To test the effectiveness of protein shakes in losing weight, 200 adults between the ages of 25 and 40 years were divided equally into two groups: a treatment group and a control group. The treatment group was asked to drink a protein shake after every workout session for a period of 6 months. The subjects' weights were noted before and after the treatment.

The results showed that the mean change in the amount of weight lost by the treatment group is 8 points more than that of the control group. To test whether the results could be explained by random chance, researchers created a table that summarizes the results of 1,000 re-randomizations of the data with differences of means rounded to the nearest 2 points.

Consider the significance level to be set at [tex]$5\%$[/tex], so results less than [tex]$5\%$[/tex] can be considered statistically significant.

\begin{tabular}{|c|c|}
\hline
Treatment Group Mean - Control Group Mean & Frequency \\
\hline
-12 & 1 \\
\hline
-10 & 10 \\
\hline
-8 & 28 \\
\hline
-6 & 58 \\
\hline
0 & 125 \\
\hline
2 & 184 \\
\hline
4 & 201 \\
\hline
6 & 186 \\
\hline
8 & 114 \\
\hline
10 & 57 \\
\hline
12 & 26 \\
\hline
\end{tabular}

Part A
Determine the probability of the treatment group's mean being greater than the control group's mean by 8 points or more.



Answer :

To determine the probability of the treatment group's mean being greater than the control group's mean by 8 points or more, we will analyze the provided frequency table.

The table summarizes the results of 1,000 re-randomizations of the data, with differences of means rounded to the nearest 2 points. Here's a step-by-step solution:

1. Identify relevant frequencies: We need to consider the frequencies where the mean difference is 8 points or more. From the table provided, the relevant differences are 8, 10, and 12.

- For a difference of 8 points, the frequency is 114.
- For a difference of 10 points, the frequency is 57.
- For a difference of 12 points, the frequency is 26.

2. Sum these frequencies: Add the frequencies where the mean difference is 8 points or more.

[tex]\[ 114 + 57 + 26 = 197 \][/tex]

3. Total number of re-randomizations: There are 1,000 re-randomizations in total.

4. Calculate the probability: The probability is the ratio of the sum of the relevant frequencies to the total number of re-randomizations.

[tex]\[ \frac{197}{1000} = 0.197 \][/tex]

Thus, the probability that the treatment group's mean is greater than the control group's mean by 8 points or more is [tex]\(0.197\)[/tex] or [tex]\(19.7\%\)[/tex]. This result is not less than the significance level of [tex]\(5\%\)[/tex], so the difference observed could be due to random chance and is not considered statistically significant.