Assignment 2 (due by Feb.9 11:59pm)

Instructions

• Download “gay_marriage.csv” database in your folder for the class.
• Answer your code questions inside code chunks.
• Add comments if needed inside the code chunks using #
• Interpretation should be incorporated as plain text outside the chucks
• After completing your work, generate an HTML file (Knit-> Knit to html).
• Upload the homework on Canvas.
  • Note: If you are unable to generate a file, you may upload a rmd file.

Background of the research

• A field experiment examining whether people’s support on gay marriage is affected by their interaction with canvassers from the same or different groups (gay or straight canvasser). This exercise is based on: LaCour, M. J., and D. P. Green. 2014. “When Contact Changes Minds: An Experiment on Transmission of Support for Gay Equality.” Science 346(6215): 1366–69.

• Note that the original study was later retracted due to allegations of fabricated data.In this exercise, however, we analyze the original data while ignoring the allegations.

• The experiment

  • Subjects Southern California residents
    • Participants were asked whether they support for gay marriage one year after the canvassing.

• Treatment Canvassers were given a same-sex marriage Script leading to conversations that averaged about twenty minutes.

  • Treatment 1 Gay canvassers were assigned to households and canvassers revealed they were gay in the course of the conversation.
    
  • Treatment 2 Straight canvassers were assigned to households and canvassers revealed they were straight in the course of the conversation.
  • Control group no canvassers were assigned.

The names and descriptions of variables in the data set

Name	Description
treatment	Treatment (0, 1, 2): control(treatment==0): no canvassers, treatment==1: Same-Sex Marriage Script by Gay Canvasser, treatment==2: Same-Sex Marriage Script by Straight Canvasser,
ssm	Support for gay marriage (1 to 5). Higher scores indicate more support.

Be Prepared to Work

Load the Data

Load the “gay_marriage.csv” dataset by using gmarriage as a name to the dataframe.

# view(gay_marriage.csv)
# gmarriage <- gay_marriage.csv
# read.csv ("gmarriage")
# read.csv(gmarriage)

Show your Work

1. How many observations of this dataset? How many variables of this dataset?

# dim (gmarriage)
#dim(gmarriage)

2. Calculate the ATE of the experiment for the treatment 1: Same-Sex Marriage Script by Gay Canvasser and interpret your results

• ssm from not support (1) to very support (5)
• treatment == 1

Follow the steps:

# Step 1. Calculate the average support for same-sex marriage for the control group: treatment==0
# view(gay_marriage.csv)
# gmarriage <- gay_marriage.csv
# read.csv ("gmarriage")
# read.csv(gmarriage)

# Step 2. Calculate the average support for same-sex marriage for the Same-Sex Marriage Script by Gay Canvasser group: treatment == 1
# view(gay_marriage.csv)
# gmarriage <- gay_marriage.csv
# read.csv ("gmarriage")
# read.csv(gmarriage)

# Step 3. Compute the difference of the mean in support for same sex marriage between treatment group 1 and control group
# view(gay_marriage.csv)
# gmarriage <- gay_marriage.csv
# read.csv ("gmarriage")
# read.csv(gmarriage)

3. Calculate the ATE of the experiment for the treatment 2: Same-Sex Marriage Script by Straight Canvasser and interpret your results

• ssm from not support (1) to very support (5)
• treatment == 2

Follow the steps: Step 1. Calculate the average support for same-sex marriage for the control group: use the object representing the mean for the control group you created in Q2

# Step 2. Calculate the average support for same-sex marriage for the Same-Sex Marriage Script by Straight Canvasser group: treatment == 2
# view(gay_marriage.csv)
# gmarriage <- gay_marriage.csv
# read.csv ("gmarriage")
# read.csv(gmarriage)

# Step 3. Compute the difference of the mean in support for same sex marriage between treatment group 2 and control group
# view(gay_marriage.csv)
# gmarriage <- gay_marriage.csv
# read.csv ("gmarriage")
# read.csv(gmarriage)

4. How does the interaction with different canvassers affect the public support for same-sex marriage? Here write your interpretation # I cannot write my interpretation because the set is not coming up right for me and I’m overwhelmed with my incapability. I will try to do better next assignment, I just need to catch up on readings and lectures. So sorry to waste your time, I will be better next time.