With the rapid growth in legalized gambling in the United States, there is concern that the involvement of youth in gambling activities is also increasing. University of Minnesota Professor Randy Stinchfield compared the rates of gambling among Minnesota public school students between 1992 and 1998 (Journal of Gambling Studies, Winter 2001). Based on survey data, the table (next column) shows the percentages of ninth-grade boys who gambled weekly or daily on any game (e.g., cards, sports betting, lotteries) for the 2 years.
a. Are the percentages of ninth-grade boys who gambled weekly or daily on any game in 1992 and 1998 significantly different? (Use α = .01.)
b. Professor Stinchfield states that "because of the large sample sizes, even small differences may achieve statistical significance, so interpretations of the differences should include a judgment regarding the magnitude of the difference and its public health significance." Do you agree with this statement? If not, why not? If so, obtain a measure of the magnitude of the difference between 1992 and 1998 and attach a measure of reliability to the difference.

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1992 21,484 4,684 1998 23,199 5,313 Number of Ninth-Grade Boys in Survey Number Who Gambled Weekly/Daily