Chi-squared Question 1.

A zookeeper’s dilemma

Q: What do you call a flying primate? A: A hot air baboon!

A zookeeper thinks that lowering the intensity of the light in the primate
exhibits will reduce the amount of aggression between the baboons. In
exhibit A, with a lower light intensity, he observes 36 incidences of
aggression over a one-month period. In exhibit B, with normal lights, he
observes 42 incidences of aggression. Does he have enough evidence
to support his theory?

Null hypothesis Write the null hypothesis here.

Calculating the Chi-squared value

Observed Expected
o-e (o-e)2 2
(o-e) / E
frequency frequency

Lower light 36 39 -3 9 0.231

Normal light 42 39 33 9 0.231

0.462

Interpreting the results

How many degrees of freedom are there? 1

What is the critical value (from the table)? 3.84

Our calculated value of Chi-squared is smaller than the critical value

of Chi-squared.

There is more than 5% probability that the differences (between the

observed and expected data) are due to chance.

We reject our null hypothesis.

Chi-squared Question 2. The West-Africian bee-eaters
You have just returned from a 3 year stint in the jungles of western Africa,
where you studied the habitat selected by the native bee-eaters (a family of
birds that specialize in catching bees and wasps on the wing, taking them to a
perch, bashing their stingers out, and devouring them. In a pinch, they will eat
other flying or hopping insects, such as grasshoppers). Several habitats were available to the
bee-eaters. Is there evidence to suggest that birds prefer a particular habitat?

Forest Understory Canopy Emergent Grassland Field Riverbank

floor layer layer layer
Number
3 15 17 20 3 11 4
of birds

Null hypothesis Write the null hypothesis here.

Number of birds are equally distributed.

Calculating the Chi-squared value

Observed Expected
o-e (o-e)2 (o-e)2/e
frequency frequency
Forest floor 3 10.43 -7.43 55.20 5.29
Understory layer 15 10.43 4.57 20.88 2
Canopy layer 17 10.43 6.57 43.16 4.14
Emergent layer 20 10.43 9.53 91.58 8.78
Grassland 3 10.43 -7.43 55.20 5.29
Field 11 10.43 0.57 0.32 0.03
Riverbank 4 10.43 -6.43 41.34 3.96

29.49

Interpreting the results

How many degrees of freedom are there? 6

What is the critical value (from the table)? 12.59