Abstract

In this study we wanted to determine whether more female students at North Olmsted High School have an iPhone than male students. In order to test this hypothesis, we created a random sample of 120 students by placing a complete student roster in Minitab and doing a random sample. After we had the sample, we proceeded to look up schedules and send out surveys anonymously to the students. Our survey asked students to circle whether they are male or female and whether or not they obtain an iPhone. Of the 120 surveys we sent out, we received 91 responses and used this data to calculate the proportions of the responses.

Because this was a random sample of male and female students at NOHS and the sample size was large, we were able to proceed with the 2-Proportion Z-Test. We were testing the hypothesis that p1=p2 against the alternative hypothesis that p1>p2 with p1 being female students at NOHS who own an iPhone and p2 being male students at NOHS who own an iPhone. In this we were testing whether more female students at NOHS have iPhones than male students at NOHS or if it would remain the same. From this test we received a Z -value of 1.0377 and a P-value of 0.1497. Based on a significance level of 0.05, we failed to reject our null hypothesis and did not reach the conclusion that more female students at NOHS own an iPhone than male students at NOHS.  

Since this was an observational study, we were unable to conclude causation to say that gender and people who own iPhones are correlated. We received more female responses but this is due largely to the fact on how the study itself was conducted and how many people were present to answer the survey. This data could be extrapolated to all of NOHS as well as other high school populations.