An experiment was performed to see whether sensory deprivation over an extended period of time has any effect on the alpha-wave patterns produced by the brain. To determine this, 20 subjects, inmates in a Canadian prison, were randomly split into two groups. Members of one group were placed in solitary confinement. Those in the other group were allowed to remain in their own cells. Seven days later, alpha-wave frequencies were measured for all subjects, as shown in the following table. (Source: P. Gendered et al., "Changes in EEG Alpha Frequency and
Evoked Response Latency during Solitary Confinement," Journal of Abnormal Psychology 79 [1972]: 54-59)
Non confined
Confined
10.7
9.6
10.7
10.4
10.4
9.7
10.9
10.3
10.5
9.2
10.3
9.3
9.6
9.9
11.1
9.5
11.2
9.0
10.4
10.9
a) What are the null and alternative hypotheses? Be sure to define all the terms and symbols you use.
b) Are the assumptions necessary for inference met?
c) Perform the appropriate test, indicating the formula you used, the calculated value of the test statistic, the df, and the P-value.
d) State your conclusion.