Question

Can the average number of hours of sleep a mammal gets per day help to predict that mammal’s lifespan (in years)? Researchers studied the sleep patterns and lifespans of a large sample of mammals. All of the mammals in the sample slept, on average, between 2.9 and 19.7 hours per day. The form of the relationship is linear, and the following regression equation was constructed based on this data set.

Predicted lifespan = 36.93 – 1.64 (average hours of sleep)

The chimpanzee sleeps an average of 9.7 hours per day. Use the regression equation to predict the lifespan of the chimpanzee. Choose the answer below that is closest to your calculation.

A 52.8 years

B 36.9 years

C 15.9 years

D 9.7 years

E 21 years

Answer 1

The regression equation is -

Predicted lifespan = 36.93 – 1.64 (average hours of sleep)

Now,

If chimpanzee sleeps an average of 9.7 hours per day,

The predicted lifespan of the chimpanzee is = 36.93 – (1.64*9.7) = 21.022

ans-> E) 21 years