Khatibi, Redrico 1

Rana Khatibi, Jonathan Redrico

Ramesh Narasimhan
Math 142
15 November 2015
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

Khatibi, Redrico 2

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.

Hypothesis 1 Test

Khatibi, Redrico 3
Hypothesis: A greater proportion of individuals who study or work in the life sciences are
pro-choice than individuals who do not.

(1) Student or Professional in

Life Sciences
(2) Not Student or
Professional in Life Sciences
Column Total

Pro-Choice

Pro-Life

No Stance

Row Total

25

30

29

41

54

11

Grand Total
71

Identify null and alternative hypothesis:

H 0 : p1 =p 2
H 1 : p1 > p2
Gather data:
x 1=25

x 2=29

n1=30

n2=41

x
^p1= 1 =0.833
n1

^p2=

p=

x 1+ x 2 54
= =0.761
n 1+ n2 71

x2
=0.707
n2

q =1 p =0.239

Khatibi, Redrico 4
Calculate test statistic:
z=

( ^p 1^p2 )( p1 p1 )

p q p q
+
n1 n2

( 0.8330.707 )( 0)

(0.761 0.239) (0.761 0.239)

+
30
41

=1.23

Find P-value:
Since right-tailed test,
P -value=1( 0.8907 Triola, pg. 898 ) =0.1093 Conclusion:
P-value = 0.1093> =0.05
Z-Score

fail to reject Ho

There is not sufficient sample evidence to support the claim that a greater
Probability

proportion of individuals who study or work in the life sciences are pro-choice
than individuals who do not.

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.

(1) Student or Professional in

Life Sciences
(2) Not Student or
Professional in Life Sciences
Column Total

Pro-Choice

Pro-Life

No Stance

Row Total

25

30

29

41

54

11

Grand Total
71

Identify null and alternative hypothesis:

H 0 : p1 =p 2
H 1 : p1 < p2
Gather data:
x 1=3

n1=30
^p1=

x1
=0.100
n1

Khatibi, Redrico 5
x 2=8

^p2=

n2=41
p=

x 1+ x 2 54
= =0.155
n 1+ n2 71

x2
=0.195
n2

q =1 p =0.845

Khatibi, Redrico 6
Calculate test statistic:
z=

( ^p 1^p2 )( p1 p1 )

p q p q
+
n1 n2

( 0.1000.195 )(0)

(0.155 0.845) (0.155 0.845)

+
30
41

=1.09

Find P-value:
Since left-tailed test,
P -value=0.1379Triola, pg. 897 Conclusion:
P-value = 0.1379> =0.05
Z-Score

fail to reject Ho

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
Probability

than individuals who do not.

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
During Zygote Stage

Personhood
Begins After
Zygote Stage

Row Total

25

30

11

30

41

16

55

Grand Total
71

(1) Student or Professional in Life

Sciences
(2) Not Student or Professional in
Life Sciences
Column Total

Identify null and alternative hypothesis:

H 0 : p1 =p 2
H 1 : p1 < p2
Gather data:
x 1=5

x 2=11

n1=30

n2=41

x
^p1= 1 =0.167
n1

^p2=

x2
=0.268
n2

Khatibi, Redrico 7
q =1 p =0.775

Z-Score

x 1+ x 2 54
= =0.225
n 1+ n2 71

Probability

p=

 Calculate test statistic:

z=

( ^p 1^p2 )( p1 p1 )

p q p q
+
n1 n2

( 0.1670.268 )(0)

(0.225 0.775) (0.225 0.775)

+
30
41

=1.01

Find P-value:
Since left-tailed test,
P -value=0.1562Triola, pg. 897 Conclusion:
P-value = 0.1562> =0.05

fail to reject Ho

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.

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.

Data

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
Subject 39
Subject 40

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
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
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
20
18

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
Pro-Life
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
Zygote
Zygote

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
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

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

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-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

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

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

3. How old are you?

No
_________________

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

1st Day of pregnancy (fertilization)

Embryo

1st Day 10th week of pregnancy

Fetus

10th week 9th month of pregnancy

Birth

9th month of pregnancy

Infant

0 12 months old

Toddler

1 3 years old

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