You have collected data on the body temperature and bite force of more than 100 iguanas on a recent research trip to Costa Rica.This is triple the data that most researchers ever get! You use these data to test if iguanas with higher body temperatures can bite harder.You generate a mean and look at your data relative to that mean.Many data points are consistent and fall within 1 standard deviations of the mean.You might expect your standard error to be:
A) Large because the data are within 1 standard deviation of the mean
B) Large because the data are within 1 standard deviation of the mean and you do not have many data points
C) Small because the data are within 1 standard deviation of the mean and there are many data points
D) Small because there is a lot of variation in the data

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When data points are consistently clustered near the mean within 1 standard deviation, it indicates that the spread of the data is relatively small. This reduces the standard error because the samples are more likely to represent the population as a whole. Having over 100 data points also increases the precision of the estimates, which further reduces the standard error. Therefore, option C is the best choice.

You Have Collected Data on the Body Temperature and Bite