Introduction:

More and more new movies today are sequels to earlier, successful movies. In this activity we will explore, using statistics, whether original movies or their sequels are generally better.

This activity will span two weeks of our course. In the first week you research the ratings of several movies and their sequels, and make a prediction, based only on your “gut,” on whether original movies tend to be better than their sequels, or whether sequels tend to be better. In the second week you will explore several statistics to see if the data supports a hypothesis that original movies or their sequels tend to be better.

Learning objectives:

  • Describe data by their average value, distribution, and variation including understanding the characteristics and importance of the normal distribution
  • Apply, a basic-level understanding of statistical inference, statistical significance, margin of error, and hypothesis testing when encountering these topics in the real world

Procedure:

First phase of activity:

  • Create a table in your Word document. It should have 4 columns and 16 rows. Label the columns, “Original title,” “Sequel title,” “Original rating,” and “Sequel rating.”
  • Find at least 15 movies that have sequels, and enter the titles of the movies in the first two columns of the table.
  • Before we can begin any statistical analyses, we need data! Visit the Metacritic site (https://www.metacritic.com/) and look up and enter into your table the ratings for all of the movies and sequels you found.
  • Now answer the First Week Questions below in your Word document.
  • Note: You must include a citation for the Metacritic site you used to research the movie ratings.

Second phase of activity:

  • Now it’s time to use some statistics! Answer the questions below for the Second Week. You must include calculations for all of your data. You can scan or take a picture of the calculations to include in your Word document, just make sure the images in the document you submit are clear and complete. If you use technology to calculate the statistic, please discuss the specific steps you used in with the technology to do the calculations.
  • You will also create a graph. You can use technology to graph, but whether you hand-draw or use technology, you must include the graphs in your Word document.
  • Submit the completed Word Document through this assignment in Blackboard.

Questions:

First phase of activity:

  1. Which movies tend to be better, originals or their sequels? Why do you think this?
  2. What kind of factors or data would you consider to answer this question? Include at least three in your response, including how they would help you answer the question.

Second phase of activity:

  1. Find the Mean, Median, Mode, and Standard Deviation of your two distributions (originals and sequels).
  2. Create a 5-number summary for each distribution
  3. Use your 5-number summary to build two boxplots on the same scale. Do not forget to label the graph appropriately.
  4. Create a histogram for each distribution. Are they skewed in one direction or symmetric? Do not forget to label the graphs appropriately.
  5. Which movies are better, the original or sequel? Use your data analysis to make a case for which is better, not your opinion. Remember, the answer could also be that the data doesn’t support a conclusion that either is consistently better.