MattHaeffner

ResearchMethods
StatisticsAssignment
IthacaCollege
Thedatabeingpresentedisinresultofastudydonetodeterminethedifferences
incaloricintakebasedonfoodpreparation,betweentwogroupsofsubjectswithatotal
amountof47childparentparticipantpairs(N=47);onegroup(1.00)consistedof
childrenmakinglunchwiththeirparents(n=25),whiletheothergroup(2.00)wasstrictly
theparentspreparinglunch(n=22)forthekids.Inthisstudy,thedependentvariable
(DV)iscaloricintakebecauseitdependsonthemanipulatedvariable;themanipulated
variable,alsocalledtheindependentvariable(IV)inthestudyisthepresenceorlack
thereofthechildrenwhenpreparingmeals,andhowthatmayinfluencecaloricintake.
AccordingtovanderHorstetal.(2014),ofN49%wereboys(n=23)and51%were
girls(n=24).Sevenchildrenwereaccompaniedbytheirfathersand40childrenbytheir
mothers.(p.21).
Themeancaloricintakepermealofthetotalsample(N)wasfoundtobe391.8
calories,withaSDof110.3caloriesmoreorlessthanthemean.Thismeansthat95%of
subjectsthatappearwithinthefirstdeviationof391.8calorieshaveeaten110.3(+/)
caloriesdespitebeinginGroup1.00or2.00.ThemediancaloricintakeofNwas404
calories,withmultiplemodesexisting.ByrunningaTtest,themeancaloricintakefor
eachgroupwasdetermined;Group1.00consumedanaverageof431.4caloriespermeal
withastandarddeviation(SD)(ona95%confidencecurve)of105.7caloriesmoreor
lessthanthemean,whileGroup2.00consumedanaverage346.8caloriespermeal,with

aSDof99.5caloriesmoreorlessthanthemean.Bytakingtheaverageofthetwogroups
caloricintakes,wewereabletoreachthemeanofN,at391.8caloriespermeal.Of
sampleN,asawhole,theminimumamountofcaloriesconsumedwas139.7calories,
whilethemaximumamountofcalorieswasawhopping635.2caloriespermeal.
However,whenthegroupsareobservedseparately,itshowsthatchildrenwhocooked
withtheirparents(1.00)weremorelikelytoconsumemorecaloriesintheirmealsfor
boththeminimumandmaximumvalues.Thiscouldbeduetothepresenceofanadult
feelingthepressuretocompletechildrensrequestsduringmeals,andmakinginfluenced
decisionseffectsthecaloricintakesignificantlyforchildren.
InGroup1.00,accordingtothestudy,childrenconsumedmorecaloriesdueto
higherintakeofcaloriedensefoodssuchasbreadedchickenstrips(vanderHorstetal.,
2014,p.22).Thus,weseetheabilityofchildrentoinfluenceparentaldecisionmaking
whenitcomestopreparingmeals.Whiletheskewnessofthestandarddeviationisnotas
significantinGroup1.00asthatofGroup2.00,itisbecausetheyconsumedequallymore
caloriesthantheaverageastheydidless,whichmakesthekurtosisofthebellcurvefor
Group1.00roundedleavingtailendslessskewedthanthatofGroup2.00.Whilegroup
2.00ontheotherhand,significantlyunderconsumedcaloriesbasedontheirmeancaloric
intakeof346.8,andaminimum139.7caloriespermeal,whichthrowsofftheskewness
ofthetailendsofthebellcurve.Basedontheinformationinthisstudyitisnotpossible
tomakeanydefinitiveconclusionsaboutwhichgroupscaloricintakewasmostdirectly
affectedbytheindependentvariable,whichisthelackoforpresenceofachildwhen
preparingmeals.Itwouldappearthatmoreinformationisneededonthespecifictypesof

foodbeingconsumedratherthanjustrequiringtomeetthebasicfoodgroups(meat,
vegetable,starch).