Motivation of drug dealers. Refer to the Applied Psychology in Criminal Justice (Sept. 2009) study of the personality characteristics of convicted drug dealers, Exercise 7.17 (p. 352). A random sample of 100 drug dealers LO6 had a mean Wanting Recognition (WR) score of 39 points, with a standard deviation of 6 points. The researchers also are interested in s2, the variation in WR scores for all convicted drug dealers.

a. Identify the target parameter, in symbols and words.

b. Compute a 99% confidence interval for s2.

c. What does it mean to say that the target parameter lies within the interval with “99% confidence”?

d. What assumption about the data must be satisfied in order for the confidence interval to be valid?

e. To obtain a practical interpretation of the interval, part

b, explain why a confidence interval for the standard deviation, s, is desired.

f. Use the results, part

b, to compute a 99% confidence interval for s. Give a practical interpretation of the interval.