Historically, 18 Professional Tour Golfers Use Nike Golf

Historically 18 Of Professional Tour Golfers Use Nike Golf Balls A

Historically, 18% of professional tour golfers use Nike golf balls. A randomly selected sample of 50 professional tour golfers found that eight use Nike golf balls. Does the sample data provide evidence to conclude that the percentage of professional tour golfers using Nike golf balls is less than 18% (with α = 0.05)? Use the hypothesis testing procedure outlined below.

Paper For Above instruction

The hypothesis testing process is integral to making informed inferences about population parameters based on sample data. In this context, we aim to determine whether the proportion of professional tour golfers using Nike golf balls has decreased below the historically recorded 18%. This involves clearly stating hypotheses, selecting an appropriate significance level, calculating the test statistic, and interpreting the results through p-value and critical value approaches.

Formulating Hypotheses

The null hypothesis (H₀) represents the status quo or the assumption of no effect. Here, it states that the proportion of professional golfers using Nike golf balls is equal to 18%:

  • H₀: p = 0.18

The alternative hypothesis (H₁ or Ha) is what we seek evidence for, namely that the true proportion is less than 18%:

  • H₁: p

Significance Level

The significance level (α) measures the threshold for statistical significance. Given in the problem as 0.05, it indicates a 5% risk of rejecting the null hypothesis when it is actually true.

Critical Value and Rejection Region

Since the sample size is large, we use a z-test for the population proportion. The critical value (zₐ) corresponding to α = 0.05 in a one-tailed test can be looked up in a standard normal distribution table:

  • zₐ ≈ -1.645

The rejection region for this test is any z-score less than -1.645, which indicates sufficient evidence to reject H₀ in favor of Ha.

Computing the Test Statistic

First, identify the sample proportion:

  • p̂ = x/n = 8/50 = 0.16

Next, compute the standard error (SE) assuming H₀ is true:

  • SE = √[p₀(1 - p₀) / n] = √[0.18 × 0.82 / 50] ≈ √[0.1476 / 50] ≈ √0.002952 ≈ 0.0544

The z-test statistic is:

  • z = (p̂ - p₀) / SE = (0.16 - 0.18) / 0.0544 ≈ -0.02 / 0.0544 ≈ -0.367

Decision on Null Hypothesis

Since z ≈ -0.367 > -1.645, we do not fall into the rejection region. Therefore, we fail to reject H₀ at the 0.05 significance level.

Interpretation of Results

Failing to reject H₀ means there is not enough statistical evidence to conclude that the proportion of professional golfers using Nike golf balls is less than 18%. The sample data does not provide strong evidence for a decrease in Nike golf ball usage among professional golfers below the historical rate.

Observed p-value and Its Interpretation

The p-value measures the probability of obtaining a sample proportion as extreme as or more extreme than the observed p̂, assuming H₀ is true. Based on the computed z ≈ -0.367, the p-value corresponds to the area to the left of z = -0.367 in the standard normal distribution:

  • p-value ≈ 0.356

This relatively high p-value indicates a high probability of observing such a sample proportion if the true proportion was indeed 18%. Since 0.356 > 0.05, it reinforces our decision to fail to reject H₀.

Conclusion

Given the statistical analysis, there is insufficient evidence to support the claim that fewer than 18% of professional tour golfers use Nike golf balls. It is important to recognize that failure to reject H₀ does not confirm H₀ is true; rather, it suggests that current data do not demonstrate a statistically significant decrease in Nike golf ball usage among professional golfers at the 5% significance level.

Implications and Broader Context

Understanding the usage trends of golf equipment among professionals can inform marketing strategies for manufacturers like Nike. Although the sample does not provide significant evidence of a decline, monitoring these percentages over time can reveal shifts in preferences or the impact of emerging competitors. The statistical methodology employed here exemplifies how hypothesis testing aids decision-making amid uncertainty, emphasizing the importance of sample size, significance level, and effect size considerations in research.

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