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Results of a Research Study

The purpose of this study was to examine the trends in public opinion toward the issue of the legalization of the use of marijuana. As a part of this study, four hypotheses were tested. Hypothesis number one considered the change in overall public opinion on the issue between 1973 and 1987. Hypotheses number two through four were twopart tests. Hypothesis two compared the opinions of females and males on the issue in both 1973 and 1987, while hypothesis number three compared the opinions of whites and non whites on the issue in both 1973 and 1987, and hypothesis number four compared the opinions of persons 30 years old and older with the opinions of persons under the age of 30 years old for both 1973 and 1987.

The hypothesis test for the equality of two population proportions was applied in the testing of the four hypotheses. The equality of proportions test requires that each sample being tested include at least 100 subjects or items, and that each proportion should include at least 50 subjects or items. The criterion for the rejection of the null was p<.05, which, in the difference of proportions test, means that z observed must be either less than 1.96 or more than +1.96 before the null may be rejected.

The data upon which the testing of the hypotheses were based were extracted from the Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1987, pp. 196197). With respect to opinions toward the legalization of the use of marijuana, this document provides only percentages of various population groups as they support legalization, oppose legalization, or have no opinion on the issue. The hypothesis test for the equality of proportions between samples, however, also requires data indicating the numerical size of the samples tested and the numerical size of the tested proportions within those samples.

The Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1987, p. 196) indicat...

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Results of a Research Study. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 12:06, March 28, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1684496.html