A researcher conducted a study with fifty adult subjects who

A researcher conducted a study with fifty adult subjects who took garlic tablets twice a day for a period of six months. At the end of the study, 100 variables related to the health of the subjects were measured on each subject and the means compared to known means for these variables in the population of all adults. Four of these variables were significantly better (in the sense of statistical significance) at the 5% level for the group taking the garlic tablets as compared to the population as a whole, and one variable was significantly better at the 1% level for the group taking the garlic tablets as compared to the population as a whole. It would be correct to conclude

A. - that there is good statistical evidence that taking garlic tablets twice a day provides some health benefits.

B. - that there is good statistical evidence that taking garlic tablets twice a day provides benefits for the variable that was significant at the 1% level. We should be somewhat cautious about making claims for the variables that were significant at the 5% level.

C. - neither choice is correct.

Solution

B. - that there is good statistical evidence that taking garlic tablets twice a day provides benefits for the variable that was significant at the 1% level. We should be somewhat cautious about making claims for the variables that were significant at the 5% level.