Khatibi, Redrico 1

Rana Khatibi, Jonathan Redrico Ramesh Narasimhan Math 142 10 August 2013 Statistics Project: Are Science Majors Pro-Choice? The practice of abortion has divided this nation into a civil war, fought between those against abortion and those in favor. These two sides are largely herded into two respective groups: Pro-Choice" and Pro-Life. Their labels immediately raise the question asking which of these bears more importance, the choice of the mother or the life of the child? This is not a simple question, as there are several aspects to consider one being the definition of personhood. When is a developing embryo inside a mothers womb considered a person? Is a human considered a person only until birth has occurred? Individuals pursuing academic fields in the life sciences would have an informed perspective regarding abortion, as embryology is typically included in their studies. Scientific knowledge would tell them that embryos, and even fetuses, would not be considered persons because they do not meet the criteria for common ideas of personhood: they lack consciousness, self-awareness, and the capacity to choose. Embryology reveals that consciousness does not occur in the fetus until at least the fifth month of pregnancy, and that self-awareness and free will are not present - they occur only after birth during infancy. Thus an embryo would not be considered a person at least until halfway through the nine months of pregnancy, before which abortion would be acceptable in this context. Furthermore, an embryo spends the first three weeks as a ball of dividing cells, to put it simply. An individual with a background in the life sciences perhaps would not be disturbed with the practice of abortion at least up to this stage in

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human development. With an understanding of how an embryo grows, life science students and professionals would accept abortion up to certain stages in development aligning their attitudes more toward pro-choice perspectives than pro-life. This paper tests three hypotheses within a convenience sample of college students: 1. A greater proportion of individuals who study or work in the life sciences are pro-choice than individuals who do not. 2. A smaller proportion of individuals who study or work in the life sciences are pro-life than individuals who do not. 3. A smaller proportion of individuals who study or work in the life sciences believe that personhood begins as a zygote (fertilized egg) than individuals who do not.

Khatibi, Redrico 3 Hypothesis 1 Test Hypothesis: A greater proportion of individuals who study or work in the life sciences are pro-choice than individuals who do not. Pro-Choice (1) Student or Professional in Life Sciences (2) Not Student or Professional in Life Sciences Column Total 25 29 54 Pro-Life 3 8 11 No Stance 2 4 6 Row Total 30 41 Grand Total 71

Identify null and alternative hypothesis: = Gather data: = 25 = 30 = = = 0.833 = = 0.761 = 29 = 41 = =1 = 0.707 = 0.239

Calculate test statistic: =

( ) (

( .
( . .

.
) ( .

) ( )
. )

= 1.23
Probability

Find P-value: Since right-tailed test, -value = 1 Conclusion: P-value 0.1093 = 0.05

P-value = 0.1093

(0.8907

la

. 898 )

= 0.1093
Z-Score

fail to reject Ho

= 1.23

There is not sufficient sample evidence to support the claim that a greater proportion of individuals who study or work in the life sciences are pro-choice than individuals who do not.

Khatibi, Redrico 4 Hypothesis 2 Test Hypothesis: A smaller proportion of individuals who study or work in the life sciences are pro-life than individuals who do not. Pro-Choice (1) Student or Professional in Life Sciences (2) Not Student or Professional in Life Sciences Column Total 25 29 54 Pro-Life 3 8 11 No Stance 2 4 6 Row Total 30 41 Grand Total 71

Identify null and alternative hypothesis: = Gather data: =3 = 30 = = = 0.100 = = 0.155 =8 = 41 = =1 = 0.195 = 0.845

Calculate test statistic: =

( ) (

( .
( . .

.
) ( .

) ( )
. )

1.09
P-value = 0.137
Probability

Find P-value: Since left-tailed test, -value = 0.1379 Conclusion: P-value 0.1379 = 0.05
la . 897

Z-Score

fail to reject Ho

1.09

There is not sufficient sample evidence to support the claim that a smaller proportion of individuals who study or work in the life sciences are pro-life than individuals who do not.

Khatibi, Redrico 5 Hypothesis 3 Test Hypothesis: A smaller proportion of individuals who study or work in the life sciences believe that personhood begins as a zygote (fertilized egg) than individuals who do not. Personhood Begins After Zygote Stage 25 30 55

Personhood Begins During Zygote Stage (1) Student or Professional in Life Sciences (2) Not Student or Professional in Life Sciences Column Total 5 11 16

Row Total 30 41 Grand Total 71

Identify null and alternative hypothesis: = Gather data: =5 = 30 = = = 0.167 = = 0.225 = 11 = 41 = =1 = 0.268 = 0.775

Calculate test statistic: =

( ) (

( .
( . .

.
) ( .

) ( )
. )

1.01
P-value = 0.1562
Probability

Find P-value: Since left-tailed test, -value = 0.1562 Conclusion: P-value 0.1562 = 0.05 fail to reject Ho
la . 897

Z-Score

1.01

There is not sufficient sample evidence to support the claim that a smaller proportion of individuals who study or work in the life sciences believe that personhood begins as a zygote than individuals who do not.

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By using methods of statistical inference, it is able to determine whether a greater proportion of students or professionals involved in the life sciences consider themselves pro-choice than individuals who are not involved in the life sciences. Additionally, the lesser proportion of this life-science population of being pro-life as well as believing personhood begins as a zygote was also used in inference, as these statistics correspond with a population being pro-choice. Based on the calculations, a significant difference concerning all three proportions could not be made between the two populations at a 5% significance level. Hence, an assumption can be made that populations of life-science students and professionals are just as likely to be pro-choice as the general public. It is important to note that the data was collected from a relatively small sample at 71 individuals, whereas accurate surveys can reach numbers in the thousands. Furthermore, the survey was conducted by convenience sampling through contacts at school and on Facebook via an online poll. This limits the scope of the survey to typically 18- to 25-year-old college students within the Northern San Francisco Bay Area. As California is a comparatively liberal state, with San Francisco serving as the center of liberal activism, a sample limited to the Bay Area would perhaps exhibit greater proportions of pro-choice individuals within any population in the area.

Khatibi, Redrico 7 Data Life-Science Student No No No No No No No No No No Yes Yes No No No No No Yes Yes No No No Yes No No No Yes Yes Yes No No No No No No No No Yes Life-Science Job No No No No Yes No No No No Yes No Yes No No No No No Yes Yes No No No Yes No No No Yes No No No Yes No Yes No No No No No Age 21 25 21 20 21 21 21 19 21 25 20 22 22 21 21 24 21 22 19 20 21 20 21 27 21 21 21 21 21 20 21 23 21 26 21 22 25 21 Abortion Stance Pro-Choice Pro-Life Pro-Choice Pro-Life Pro-Choice No Stance No Stance Pro-Choice Pro-Choice Pro-Choice Pro-Choice Pro-Choice Pro-Choice Pro-Choice Pro-Choice No Stance Pro-Choice Pro-Choice Pro-Choice Pro-Life Pro-Choice Pro-Choice Pro-Life Pro-Choice Pro-Choice Pro-Life Pro-Choice Pro-Choice No Stance Pro-Life No Stance Pro-Choice Pro-Choice Pro-Choice Pro-Choice Pro-Choice Pro-Choice Pro-Choice Start of Personhood Fetus Zygote Embryo Zygote Fetus Zygote Fetus Embryo Embryo Fetus Fetus Birth Fetus Fetus Fetus Zygote Zygote Zygote Fetus Zygote Fetus Birth Zygote Fetus Fetus Zygote Birth Fetus Fetus Zygote Zygote Embryo Zygote Fetus Embryo Birth Zygote Embryo

Subject 1 Subject 2 Subject 3 Subject 4 Subject 5 Subject 6 Subject 7 Subject 8 Subject 9 Subject 10 Subject 11 Subject 12 Subject 13 Subject 14 Subject 15 Subject 16 Subject 17 Subject 18 Subject 19 Subject 20 Subject 21 Subject 22 Subject 23 Subject 24 Subject 25 Subject 26 Subject 27 Subject 28 Subject 29 Subject 30 Subject 31 Subject 32 Subject 33 Subject 34 Subject 35 Subject 36 Subject 37 Subject 38

Khatibi, Redrico 8 Subject 39 Subject 40 Subject 41 Subject 42 Subject 43 Subject 44 Subject 45 Subject 46 Subject 47 Subject 48 Subject 49 Subject 50 Subject 51 Subject 52 Subject 53 Subject 54 Subject 55 Subject 56 Subject 57 Subject 58 Subject 59 Subject 60 Subject 61 Subject 62 Subject 63 Subject 64 Subject 65 Subject 66 Subject 67 Subject 68 Subject 69 Subject 70 Subject 71 No Yes No Yes No No No No Yes No Yes No No No No No No No No No No No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No Yes No No No No No No No No No No No Yes Yes No Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes 20 18 25 19 24 24 19 18 21 20 25 25 24 20 52 47 21 22 18 22 18 31 19 20 21 21 22 20 20 26 19 20 20 Pro-Life Pro-Choice Pro-Choice Pro-Choice Pro-Choice Pro-Choice Pro-Choice Pro-Life Pro-Choice Pro-Life Pro-Choice Pro-Choice Pro-Choice Pro-Choice No Stance Pro-Choice Pro-Choice Pro-Choice Pro-Life Pro-Choice Pro-Choice Pro-Choice Pro-Choice Pro-Choice Pro-Choice Pro-Choice Pro-Choice Pro-Choice Pro-Choice Pro-Choice Pro-Life Pro-Choice Pro-Choice Zygote Zygote Fetus Fetus Infant Embryo Birth Embryo Birth Zygote Embryo Fetus Birth Embryo Fetus Embryo Fetus Fetus Embryo Fetus Fetus Birth Embryo Fetus Infant Fetus Birth Fetus Toddler Fetus Embryo Fetus Fetus

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Anonymous Poll on Perspectives About Abortion 1. Have you ever majored in the life sciences (biology, genetics, anatomy, neuroscience, physiology, etc.)? Yes No

2. Is your occupation related to the life sciences (medicine, research, education)? Yes

No

3. How old are you?

_________________

4. Which of the following movements do you think aligns most with your personal perspectives on abortion? Pro-Life Pro-Choice No Stance

5. At which stage in development do you think a human becomes a person?

Zygote Embryo
1st Day of pregnancy (fertilization) 1st Day 10th week of pregnancy 10th week 9th month of pregnancy 9th month of pregnancy 0 12 months old 1 3 years old

Fetus
Birth

Infant Toddler

As this is an anonymous survey, your privacy is guaranteed. Please do not write your name on this questionnaire. Thank you for you participation.