Slide 1

Proving a Premise Chi Square

Inferential statistics involve randomly drawing samples from populations, and making inferences about the total population by examining the summarized data computer contained within the sample. One very effective technique involves drawing two samples from the respective populations, then splitting the sample into groups, and computing the frequency of responses within separate categories. If the difference is statistically significant then the inference is made that there is a significant difference between the frequencies of not only the sample, but probably the total population as well. In other words, we "infer" the findings of the sample to the total population based on the probability.

Proving a Premise - Chi Square

Critical frequency tests (Chi-Square) can be used to determine if the difference between the frequencies of two groups, relative to two or more responses, is statistically significant, or not. As applied to critical thinking, before we state in an argument that a persons membership in a gang is a factor in committing criminal behavior, we should test the hypothesis. Although it makes sense that such a presumption may be true, we do not really know for sure because we have no empirical evidence to support our premise.

If we find that gang membership is a significant contributor to criminal propensity within a randomly drawn sample, and the level of statistical significance is beyond that needed to reject the null hypothesis, then we can safely infer the results to the total population and thus accurately assert that gang affiliation is a factor in criminality.The manner in which we would collect data is similar to the Z ratio sampling methodology, but instead of collecting mean and standard deviation data, we would bifurcate the sample into two groups (gang members and non-gang members) and then assess their past criminal historyProving a Premise - Chi Square

If the Chi-Square was computed beyond a level needed for statistically significant difference (3.83 at the .05 level or 6.64 at the .01 level)), then we could conclude safely that the same relationship between gang affiliation observed and criminal propensity observed in the sample probably exists in the total population as well. Thus, our assertion that gang members have a higher propensity for engaging in criminal behavior would be a safe presumption.

As I mentioned in the prior lecture, statistical significance (based on the laws of probability) is a conventional way of stating whether a difference between groups or a relationship between variables has occurred simply by chance, or not. When comparing frequencies of two samples, a Chi-Square helps the researcher decide whether the difference would be expected to occur by chance, or whether it would not be expected to happen by chance; whether the difference may be attributed to random sampling error, or whether the difference between the frequencies was so large that it overcame expected sampling error. The .05 and .01 levels have been accepted by the scientific community as the standard measures of acceptability for such measurement.

Proving a Premise - Chi Square

Chi-Square analysis differs from Z ratios in that Chi-Square does not use a standard measure. Instead, it uses a changing scale of needed values for the .05 and .01 level so of significance based on the degrees of freedom. These degrees of freedom are computed based on the number of rows and columns (or variables) within the analysis. A two by two table (two vertical categories and two horizontal categories) requires 3.83 and 6.64 at the .05 and .01 respectively.In other words if a Chi-Square is computed at 3.85, then you would reject the null hypothesis at the .05 level which gives you 95% certainty that the same or similar difference between frequency measured in the sample would apply to the total population.Subsequently, you could safely assume that criminality is associated with gang membership universally and contributes (partially) to criminal behavior.

Proving a Premise - Chi Square

As with the Z ratio test, we need to conduct an empirical test to assure ourselves that the premise (that gang membership is a contributive factor to criminality) is correct. We accomplish this by incorporating a quantitative analysis that examines the frequencies of two samples (those who have and those who have not committed criminal acts based on whether they are or are not a member of a gang) to see if there is a significant difference between the frequency of gang affiliation and criminality. To be absolutely sure that sampling error was not the cause of the difference we noted between the two groups, we accept the null hypothesis (which would state There is NO statistically significant difference between gang affiliation for those who commit crimes and those who do not) until the Chi-Square proves beyond reasonable doubt that such a difference exists.

The .05 and .01 levels of significance correspond to the 95% and 99% (or plus 2 and plus 3) standard deviations on a normal distribution bell curve. Chi-Square however is different from Z ratio in that it only uses a one-tailed curve. The reason for this is that there cannot be a negative number.

Proving a Premise - Chi Square

If a difference between frequency of criminal involvement produces a Chi-Square that is large enough (plus or minus 3.83) so that it would be expected to occur by chance in less than 5% of the cases (.05 or 5 times out of 100), then the difference between frequencies is said to be significant at the 5% or (.05) level. If we see a Chi-Square bigger than 3.83 we can safely "reject" the null hypothesis and accept the research hypothesis, which says, "there IS a significant difference between the two groups relative to gang affiliation and criminality", subsequently we can also safely presume that gang involvement is ONE of the factors that influences criminality.

Proving a Premise - Chi Square

Chi-Square is a statistical test that can be used to examine the difference between frequencies of samples drawn from populations. It is considered a critical frequency test for samples. The larger the samples the greater the degree of representation or inclusion of an adequate cross section of the population and the less likely the sample was not representative of the total population. Chi-square assumes normality of the distribution. Areas under the normal curve may be examined to determine, within that level of probability, the difference observed betweens means would have occurred by chance.

Proving a Premise - Chi Square

The Influence of Gangs on Criminality

Problem: The growing issue of gang affiliation and its influence over people to commit crime.

Research Question: What relationship exists between gang affiliation and criminality?

Research Hypothesis: There is a statistically significant relationship between membership in a street gang and the probability that persons within that gang will commit criminal offenses.

Null hypothesis: There is no statistically significant difference between gang affiliation and propensity to engage in criminal behavior.

Probability Statement: Sixty randomly selected participants were included with the study. Thirty participants were selected based on their gang affiliation and thirty were selected based on their non-involvement in gangs. For a 2 x 2 table a Chi-Square of 3.66 is need for significant at the .05 level and 6.64 for significance at the .01 level. An analysis of past criminal history was conducted which yielded the following results. Proving a Premise - Chi Square

Presentation of the Data: Category Criminal History No History Gang Members 25 5 Non Gang Members 5 2

Chi-Square = 15.50, p