Exercise 6.3: Writing a Null Hypothesis and Considering Alternate Explanations

1)

Because of the recent outbreak of "road rage" incidents, some observers are suggesting that driver education courses include a component on anger management. The intent of that course component is to produce more polite drivers.

State a null hypothesis about the relationship between completing an anger management component in a driver education course and polite driving habits.



State two alternate hypotheses (that is, hypotheses using an independent variable other than enrollment in an anger management course) to explain why some people engage in road rage behavior and others do not.

a) b)

2)

A newspaper article (Providence Journal, August 2, 2001, p. A7) reported the results of a Nebraska Crime Commission study showing urban counties as more likely to seek the death penalty for defendants than rural counties. In addition, prosecutors were more likely to seek the death penalty when the victim was well off. Offer two alternate hypotheses that might explain differential rates of seeking the death penalty against defendants.

a) b)