Some offices pipe in background music. The vendor claims this improves productivity, but might it cause more distraction? A firm’s HR department wants to learn whether productivity is affected by background music. The company hires a research firm to conduct an experiment. The researchers will time some volunteers to see how long it takes them to complete some relatively easy crossword puzzles. During some of the trials, the room will be quiet; during other trials in the same room, background music will be piped in.

a) Design an experiment that will require a two-sample t procedure to analyze the results.

b) Design an experiment that will require a paired t procedure to analyze the results.

c) Which experiment would you consider the stronger design? Why?