Fix It Dr. King Recently Read an Article That Claimed Kids' Meals

Essay

Fix It
Dr. King recently read an article that claimed kids' meals make up 20% of one of the largest fast-food burger chain's sales. Dr. King believes that the percent of kids' meals purchased would be significantly reduced if they did not include prizes. Dr. King creates an experiment to determine the impact of prizes on children selecting a kids' meal over other meal options. He recruits 150 local elementary-school children whose parents report their family frequents fast food chains two or more times each week, on average. The children are brought into the lab where they are told they will be interviewed about their lifestyle. They are also told they will get a free meal of their choosing to thank them for their participation. Each child is provided the following options: Meal 1 is a hamburger, fries, and soft drink. Meal 2 is a hamburger, fries, soft drink, and a prize. Meal 3 is a grilled chicken wrap, apple slices, juice box, and a prize. Dr. King records how many children select each meal. He finds that only 13 children selected meal 1. The remaining 137 children are split between meals 2 and 3 (68 children selected meal 2 and 69 selected meal 3).
What statistical test should Dr. King use to determine a difference in meal preference? Are there ethical implications involved in deceiving kids into thinking they were being studied about their physical activity? What other issues might the IRB have considered when reviewing this study? Fix it!