interpretation of data

[mrmel1]

i have finished collecting data for my kids project does playing violent video games effece your blood pressure and pulse i had ten kids play three different video games and recorded their vs pre and post play i am uncertain how to interpret the data without running a t test to determine if the results are statistically significant which i feel is above their grade level ineed help

[klhjbh62604]

Hello mrmel1:

A very interesting project. I was hoping to get a little bit more information regarding the project that was completed.

Did you test the children's vitals using a non-violent game? - This could be used as a control to ensure that the results you were seeing could be linked backed to playing the video games.

A t-test would be best to ensure that the differences you are seeing are significant.

You could have your child plot the data and state that they are unsure whether the differences are significant or not because the statistics have not been completed. Therefore, a conclusion would not be made, however your child would get the opportunity to manipulate and plot the data.

Please let us know if you have any questions.
Thanks,
klhjbh62604

[heatherL]

Hi mrmel1,

Klhjbh62604 has already given you some great advice. At this grade level, it is not necessary for the student to do statistics. The only way to truly see if there is a "significant" difference is to perform a paired t-test with the data. The good news is that Microsoft Excel can carry out a t-test fairly easily. However, as klhjbh62604 said, your child can just plot the blood pressure variables before and after playing the games; and seeing a visual difference should be enough.

If you are still unsure, feel free to post back (in this same thread) with the actual data, and we can try to give you more detailed advice.

Heather