Chapter 9.3, Problem 15BSC

In Exercises 5–16, use the listed paired sample data, and assume that the samples are simple random samples and that the differences have a distribution that is approximately normal.

15. Hypnotism for Reducing Pain A study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of hypnotism in reducing pain. Results for randomly selected subjects are given in the accompanying table (based on “An Analysis of Factors That Contribute to the Efficacy of Hypnotic Analgesia.” by Price and Barber, Journal of Abnormal Psychology, Vol. 96, No. 1). The values are before and after hypnosis; the measurements are in centimeters on a pain scale. Higher values correspond to greater levels of pain. Construct a 95% confidence interval for the mean of the “before/after” differences. Does hypnotism appear to be effective in reducing pain?