A researcher studied the effect of social influence on drinking behaviour. Sixty people were randomly assigned to one of three conditions where they were given a soft drink to consume while waiting for the experiment to supposedly begin. An experimental assistant, posing as another participant, was also given a drink. In one condition, the assistant sipped the drink at a faster rate than the research participant; in another condition, the assistant sipped the drink at the same rate as the participant; and in the last condition, the assistant sipped the drink at a slower rate than the participant. The time it took each participant to consume his or her drink was measured.

What is an experiment?

Urban Travel Times Population of cities and driving times are related, as shown in the accompanying table, which shows the 1960 population N, in thousands, for several cities, together with the average time T, in minutes, sent by residents driving to work. City Population N Driving time T Los Angeles 6489 16.8 Pittsburgh 1804 12.6 Washington 1808 14.3 Hutchinson 38 6.1 Nashville 347 10.8 Tallahassee 48 7.3 An analysis of these data, along with data from 17 other cities in the United States and Canada, led to a power model of average driving time as a function of population. a Construct a power model of driving time in minutes as a function of population measured in thousands b Is average driving time in Pittsburgh more or less than would be expected from its population? c If you wish to move to a smaller city to reduce your average driving time to work by 25, how much smaller should the city be?