DSRT 734: Comparing Homework Hours Across Three Student Teams

DSRT 734 Question

A school has three different teams of students (Red team, Blue team,
and Green Team). They want to test if the average hours of weekly
homework is equal between the three teams. They collect a random sample
of students and find out how many hours of homework they have in an
average week. The hours of homework is has a normal distribution.
What is the correct test for the school to run?

Option A

Independent samples t-test


Option B

Wilcoxon signed-rank test


Option C

Paired samples t-test


Option D

ANOVA with a post hoc test

What this question assesses

This prompt assesses selection of a group-comparison method for one quantitative outcome observed across three distinct student teams, including recognition of when a follow-up comparison framework may be relevant.

How to approach this type of question

Translate the story into variables: weekly homework hours is quantitative, team is categorical, and the team variable has three levels. Determine whether a student can appear in more than one team or whether the samples are independent. The stated normal distribution is relevant but does not replace checks for unusual observations and group variance behavior in actual data. Then compare the candidates by the number of groups and dependence structure they support. A two-group procedure should not be stretched across three groups through repeated unadjusted tests, and a paired procedure requires matched or repeated observations. If an omnibus multi-group analysis is used, its first result addresses whether some difference exists; post hoc comparisons are a separate, multiplicity-controlled step for locating differences. Apply these criteria to the choices without assuming that any observed average gap is significant. This guidance does not identify the option.

A final selection note should name the response variable, three-level factor, independent sampling unit, and distributional evidence. If the eventual omnibus result crosses the threshold, choose multiplicity-controlled follow-up comparisons rather than three unadjusted pairwise tests. If it does not, do not manufacture group differences from visible mean ordering. The procedure identifies evidence about average homework hours; it does not explain why teams might differ.

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Related DSRT 734 resources

• University of the Cumberlands course resources
• DSRT 734 Inferential Statistics in Decision-Making
• DSRT 734 Questions: Inferential Statistics in Decision-Making
• How to Choose an Inferential Statistical Test