According To The 2003–2004 Annual Report Of The Association
According To The 2003 2004 Annual Report Of The Association Of Medical
According to the annual report of the Association of Medical and Graduate Departments of Biochemistry, the average stipend for a postdoctoral trainee in biochemistry was $31,331 with a population standard deviation of $3,942. Treating this as the population, assume that you asked the 8 biochemistry postdoctoral trainees at your institution what their annual stipend was and that it averaged $34,000.
a. Construct a 90% confidence interval for this sample mean.
b. Construct a 95% confidence interval for this sample mean.
c. Construct a 99% confidence interval for this sample mean.
d. Which of the three confidence intervals do you find the most helpful? Why?
Paper For Above instruction
Introduction
Confidence intervals are vital statistical tools used to estimate the range within which a population parameter, such as the mean, is likely to lie with a certain level of confidence. In the context of biomedical research, including postdoctoral stipend analysis, constructing accurate confidence intervals provides valuable insights into the population mean stipend and aids in policy and salary negotiations. This paper demonstrates how to calculate confidence intervals for the mean stipend of biochemistry postdoctoral trainees based on a small sample, incorporating population standard deviation knowledge, and discusses the relative usefulness of different confidence levels.
Theoretical Background
When estimating the population mean, the confidence interval (CI) depends on the sample mean, population standard deviation, sample size, and the desired confidence level. For known population standard deviation, the z-distribution (standard normal distribution) is used (McClave & Sincich, 2018). The general formula for the confidence interval when the population standard deviation is known is:
\[
CI = \bar{x} \pm Z_{\alpha/2} \times \frac{\sigma}{\sqrt{n}}
\]
where:
- \(\bar{x}\) = sample mean
- \(\sigma\) = population standard deviation
- \(n\) = sample size
- \(Z_{\alpha/2}\) = z-score corresponding to the confidence level
The choice of confidence level directly affects the width of the interval: higher confidence levels produce wider intervals.
Calculations of Confidence Intervals
Given data are:
- Population standard deviation, \(\sigma = 3942\)
- Sample mean, \(\bar{x} = 34000\)
- Sample size, \(n = 8\)
For each confidence level, determine the critical z-score:
- 90% CI: \(Z_{0.05} = 1.645\)
- 95% CI: \(Z_{0.025} = 1.96\)
- 99% CI: \(Z_{0.005} = 2.576\)
Calculate the standard error (SE):
\[
SE = \frac{\sigma}{\sqrt{n}} = \frac{3942}{\sqrt{8}} \approx \frac{3942}{2.828} \approx 1393.55
\]
90% Confidence Interval:
\[
CI_{90\%} = 34000 \pm 1.645 \times 1393.55 \approx 34000 \pm 2291.21
\]
\[
\Rightarrow (31708.79, 36291.21)
\]
95% Confidence Interval:
\[
CI_{95\%} = 34000 \pm 1.96 \times 1393.55 \approx 34000 \pm 2733.80
\]
\[
\Rightarrow (31266.20, 36733.80)
\]
99% Confidence Interval:
\[
CI_{99\%} = 34000 \pm 2.576 \times 1393.55 \approx 34000 \pm 3594.27
\]
\[
\Rightarrow (30405.73, 37594.27)
\]
Discussion
The calculated confidence intervals demonstrate how increasing confidence levels widen the estimated range. The 90% interval is the narrowest, providing a more precise estimate but with less confidence. Conversely, the 99% interval is broader, capturing a higher likelihood that the true population mean falls within this range.
Choosing the most helpful interval depends on the context. For administrative purposes where higher certainty is needed, the 99% confidence interval might be preferable despite its width. In contrast, for preliminary decision-making requiring more precise estimates where a slight risk of error is acceptable, the 90% interval might be more appropriate.
Conclusion
Constructing confidence intervals with different confidence levels provides diverse insights: narrower intervals for precision and wider intervals for greater certainty. In the case of postdoctoral stipends, these intervals assist stakeholders in understanding the typical compensation range and establishing benchmarks or policy decisions. The 95% confidence interval often offers an optimal balance between confidence and precision, but specific applications may warrant selecting different levels.
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