At the Olympic level of competition, even the smallest factors can make the difference between winning and losing. For example, Pelton (1983) has shown that Olympic marksmen shoot much well if they fire between heartbeats, rather than squeezing the trigger during a heartbeat. The small vibration caused by a heartbeat seems to be sufficient to affect the marks-man's aim. The following hypothetical data demonstrate this phenomenon. A sample of n = 6 Olympic marksmen fires a series of rounds while a researcher records heartbeats. For each marksman, a score is recorded for shots fired during heartbeats and for shots fired between heartbeats. Do the data indicate a significant difference? Test with ∝ = .05.
|
Participant
|
During Heartbeats
|
Between Heartbeats
|
|
A
|
93
|
98
|
|
B
|
90
|
94
|
|
C
|
95
|
96
|
|
D
|
92
|
91
|
|
E
|
95
|
97
|
|
F
|
91
|
97
|