Dating Survey Report

Christina Chou
May Ou

Queenie Cheng
 One phenomenon appears that more and more students in Cushing fall in love as the

spring comes, so the question rises: Do males and females care about the age of their date? Is

there difference between males and females of their choice to have an older date or younger

date?

A survey is needed to determine the question. A survey is to take a general view of study

by sampling the population in the topic that examiners are interested in. By doing survey,

examiners can produce data about the topic that they are interested in.

In the survey, the Chi-Square is needed to conduct the results of the survey. The

Chi-square statistic is a measure of how much the observed cell counts in two-way table

diverge from the expected cell counts. Chi-square is really significant to study a survey. The

formal for chi-square statistic is

χ2 = Σ (observed count – expected count)2

expected count

The basic concepts are:

Fist, Make sure the survey is independent and randomize, so chi-square test can be apply.

Second, set up null hypothesis and alternative hypothesis. Null hypothesis is that “there is no

association between the variables of the columns and the variables of the rows.” And the

alternative hypothesis will be “there is a relationship between the variables of the columns
and the variables of the rows.” Also choose a significant level, significant level can be 10%,

5%, 1%, it depends on how accurate the test needs to be. Fourthly, calculate the expected

count. The formula for expected count is:

Then plug in the formula

      χ2 = Σ (observed count – expected count)2

  expected count

After that, transform the value of chi-square to P-value with a degree of freedom. The formula

for degree of freedom is:

Lastly, comparing P-value to a significant level. If P-value is greater than the significant level,

then the null hypothesis is true. If P-value is less than the significant level, then reject null

hypothesis and in favor to the alternative hypothesis.

In our dating survey, first, we chose April 7 to do the survey during dinner in dining hall.

We picked two people randomly in every table to make sure the results are random and

independent. We did ninety surveys and got them all back.

The result of the survey:

Younger Older Total

Male 25 19 44
Female 2 44 46

Total 27 63 90

Second, we set up a null hypothesis and an alternative hypothesis. For null hypothesis,

H0, we assume that there is no difference of the opinion between males and females and the

matter of choosing an older date and a younger date. For alternative hypothesis, Ha, we

assume that there is a difference of the opinion between males and females and the matter of

choosing an older date and a younger date.

Thirdly, we set up the significant level = 5%.

Fourthly, we calculate the expected counts.

Younger Older Total

Male 25 19 44

Expected 13.2 30.8

Female 2 44 46

Expected 13.8 32.2

Total 27 63 90

Fifthly, we calculate the chi-square value, is 29.48334.

Sixthly, with degree of freedom 1 ( (2-1)x(2-1)=1 ), the p-value is 5.640 × 10 −8 .

Lastly, the P-value which is extremely small that we reject the null hypothesis (we

assume that there is no difference of the opinion between males and females and the matter of
choosing an older date and a younger date.) in favor of the alternative hypothesis (we assume

that there is difference of the opinion between males and females and the matter of choosing

an older date and a younger date.).

From the procedure above, it shows how to determine the numerical result and what the

result means. In order to determine the result, the P-value is needed to conclude whether the

result is in favor of the null hypothesis or the alternative hypothesis. The P-value can be

determined by using degrees of freedom and the Chi-Square statistics on the Table F or by

using TI-83 calculator. In this case, according to the P-value 5.640 × 10 −8 with the Chi-square

statistic 29.48334 and the degree of freedom 1, the P-value is extremely small and small

enough to reject the null hypothesis (there is no difference of opinion between males and

females the matter of choosing an older date or a younger date) in favor of the alternative

hypothesis (there is a difference of opinion between males and females the matter of choosing

an older date or a younger date.). We conclude that the difference between the choice of an

older date and a younger date for males and females exists. The result shows that females

have a greater tendency to choose older dates in a relationship than males do.

Looking back on the survey, some improvements can be made during the process of doing

the survey. There could be some inaccuracy because of the age of the test population for the

survey. The age of the targets ranged between fourteen and eighteen. The targets did not

include those who age twelve to thirteen and nineteen to twenty. These groups are also
categorized as teenagers. Moreover, the survey is limited to the students at Cushing Academy.

Therefore, the survey can only be used to determine the inclination of choices of the students

who are ranged between fourteen and eighteen at Cushing Academy. The targets that are not

included in these categories can not be generalized from the results. We can not say that the

choices of all the teenagers can be determined from these results.

Discussion among test participants during the survey can also affect the results. Those

people who asked for suggestions and discussed the answers before making their choice could

affect the accuracy of the result because the choice would fail to be personal and independent.

Therefore, we can increase the accuracy of the result by making targets choose their own

answers by themselves more strictly.

Here are some additional distributions. The original table of the survey result can also be

categorized for other different distributions, such as Joint-distribution, Marginal distribution,

and Conditional distributions. Following are the tables for each distribution:

Joint Distribution
Younger Older
Male 0.278 0.211
Female 0.0222 0.700

Marginal Distribution (Gender)

Male Female
Proportion 0.489 0.511

From the marginal distribution of gender, we have approximately even number of males and
females.
Marginal Distribution (Age)
Younger Older
Proportion 0.3 0.7

From the marginal distribution of age, it shows that people tend to choose an older date.

Conditional Distribution

Age｜Gender (Female)

Younger Older
Proportion 0.0435 0.956

From the conditional distribution Age｜Gender (Female), female tend to choose an older

date.

Age｜Gender (Male)

Younger Older
Proportion 0.568 0.432

From the conditional distribution Age｜Gender (male), males’ choices are not as extreme as

females’.

Gender｜Age (Oder)

Male Female
Proportion 0.568 0.432

From the conditional distribution Gender｜Age (Oder), it shows that females has more

tendency to choose an older date than males do.

Gender｜Age(Younger)

Male Female
Proportion 0.926 0.0740

From the conditional distribution Gender｜Age (Younger), it shows that males have much

more tendency t choose younger date than females do.

 Do you mind the age of your date? Which range of age do you

prefer?

We are doing a survey for our statistics project, please circle what you think.

Your Gender Male Female

The range of age you prefer to date with Older Younger

Why???
If you circle older: If you circle younger:
1. Traditional view 1. Traditional view
2. Feeling protected 2. Feeling protective
3. Mature?? 3. Cute??
4. Other: 4. Other:

Thank you very much for your helping!!

Christina, May, Queenie 2009.4