Hausmann et al.'s Using Smartphone Crowdsourcing to Redefine Normal and Febrile Temperatures in Adults: Results from the Feverprints Study

As described in Wired's pop piece, the average body temperature for healthy adults isn't 98.6℉. Instead, data suggests that it is 97.7℉.

Here is a link to the original study by Hausmann, Berna, Ggujral, Ayubi, Howekins, Brownstein, & Dedeoglu.

1. This is an excellent theoretical example for explaining a situation where a one-sample t-test could answer your research question.

2. I created fake data that jive with the results, so you can conduct the test with your students.

This data set mimicked the original findings for healthy adults (M = 97.7, SD = .72) and was generated with Andy Luttrell's Data Generator for Teaching Statistics.

97.39
97.45
97.96
97.35
96.74
99.66
98.21
99.02
96.78
97.70
96.90
97.29
97.99
97.73
98.18
97.78
97.17
97.34
97.56
98.13
97.77
97.07
97.13
96.74
99.10
96.76
96.19
97.84
96.80
98.09

3. This example illustrates within and between-group differences. The article describes within-group differences among humans as most people have a lower temperature, early in the morning than at night. The report also highlights between-group temperature differences, as, on average, kids have higher temperatures than adults, and women have higher temperatures than men.

4. 98.6 ℉ as regular and average is based on research from 1868. Know your data source!

5. Of interest to teachers of research methods: They got their data by wearing trackers, like Apple Watches.

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