Question 1

A researcher hypothesizes that students who listen to classical music while studying will perform better on exams than students who study listening to rock. In this study, the independent variable is ______; the dependent variable is ______.

Accepted Answer

The independent variable is the variable that is being manipulated by the researcher, which in this case is the type of music (classical or rock) being listened to while studying. The dependent variable is the variable that is being measured, which is the exam score. Therefore, the best choice is D as it correctly identifies the independent variable as type of music and the dependent variable as exam score.

Question 2

Two researchers hypothesize that "parents who use more frequent verbal punishment...will report more problem behaviors in their children" (Brenner & Fox, 1998, p. 252). In this study, the dependent variable is ______.

Accepted Answer

The dependent variable is the variable that is being measured and is expected to change as a result of the independent variable (use of verbal punishment). In this case, the number of problem behaviors reported is the dependent variable, because it is the behavior of the children that is being measured and is expected to change based on the independent variable (use of verbal punishment).

Question 3

A researcher hypothesizes that people aged 35-54 are more opposed to a governor's special election than either younger (<35) or older (>54) voters. In this study, the independent variable is ______.

Accepted Answer

The independent variable is the variable that is being manipulated or tested in the study. In this case, the independent variable is age, as the researcher is interested in comparing attitudes about the special election between three different age groups: <35, 35-54, and >54.

Question 4

"Attitudes toward global warming vary as a function of political party." What is the main problem with how this research hypothesis has been stated?

Accepted Answer

The hypothesis does not indicate whether attitudes towards global warming are more positive or negative among individuals belonging to a specific political party.

Question 5

A researcher hypothesizes that people aged 35-54 are more opposed to a governor's special election than either younger (<35) or older (>54) voters. In this study, the dependent variable is ______.

Accepted Answer

The dependent variable in this study is the attitude about the special election. This is because the researcher is interested in how different age groups feel about the election, and so the attitude towards it is the variable being measured. The other options listed are either independent variables (age and the governor) or categories within the independent variable (people aged 35-54).

Question 6

A researcher hypothesizes students who work full-time are less likely to graduate than students working part-time. In this study, the dependent variable is ______.

Accepted Answer

The dependent variable is the variable that is being measured or observed in the study, in this case, the likelihood of graduation. The independent variable is the variable that is hypothesized to affect the dependent variable, in this case, employment status (whether the student works full-time or part-time). "Students" and "full-time employees" are not dependent variables in this study.

Question 7

A researcher hypothesizes that students who work part-time have higher college GPAs than students with full-time jobs. In this study, the independent variable is ______; the dependent variable is ______.

Accepted Answer

The independent variable is employment status, as this is what the researcher is manipulating and hypothesizing will have an effect on the dependent variable, which is college GPA. College GPA is the dependent variable as it is what is being measured and is hypothesized to be influenced by the independent variable of employment status.

Question 8

At the beginning of a football game, a coin is flipped to decide which of the two teams will have possession of the ball first. A coach believes that winning the coin flip increases the likelihood of winning the game. In this situation, the independent variable is ______; the dependent variable is ______.

Accepted Answer

The independent variable is the coin flip outcome, as it is being manipulated by chance. The dependent variable is the outcome of the game, as it is affected by the independent variable of winning the coin flip. Therefore, A is the best choice. B, C, and D are incorrect as they either switch the independent and dependent variable or introduce irrelevant variables.

Question 9

Two researchers hypothesize that "parents who use more frequent verbal punishment ... will report more problem behaviors in their children" (Brenner & Fox, 1998, p. 252). In this study, the independent variable is ______.

Accepted Answer

The independent variable is the variable that the researchers manipulate or observe to determine its effects on the dependent variable. In this case, the researchers are interested in the effects of the use of verbal punishment on problem behaviors in children. Verbal punishment is an aspect of parenting behavior that can be manipulated by the parent, and therefore is the independent variable in this study. The number of problem behaviors reported is the dependent variable, as it is the outcome that is being measured and is expected to be influenced by the use of verbal punishment. The parents and children involved in the study are not being manipulated by the researchers and therefore are not independent variables.

Question 10

A recent medical study found that children who watch more than 4 hours of television a day were more likely to be obese (overweight) than children who watched less television. In this study, the independent variable is ______; the dependent variable is ______.

Accepted Answer

The independent variable is television viewing because it is the variable that is being manipulated or changed to observe its effect on the dependent variable, which is obesity. The study is examining how the amount of television viewing affects the likelihood of obesity.

Question 11

"I hypothesize there is no relationship between vaccinations and autism". What is the main problem with how this research hypothesis is stated?

Accepted Answer

The main problem with the stated hypothesis is that it is not directional. A research hypothesis typically predicts a relationship or difference, and this statement does not specify a direction of effect or association.

Question 12

Of the following hypotheses presented, which one is non-directional?

Accepted Answer

Hypothesis D is non-directional because it does not specify which group is expected to have a higher or lower perception of safety at night. It simply predicts that there will be a difference between the perceptions of younger and older individuals. The other three hypotheses are directional because they make a specific prediction about which group will have a higher or lower perception of safety at night.

Question 13

A researcher hypothesizes students who work full-time are less likely to graduate than students working part-time. In this study, the independent variableis ______.

Accepted Answer

The independent variable is the variable that the researcher is manipulating or controlling in the study. In this case, the researcher is looking at how employment status (full-time vs. part-time) affects the likelihood of graduation, thus employment status is the independent variable. The other choices (percentage, students, full-time employees) do not fit the definition of an independent variable in this study.

Question 14

"The voting patterns of Californians are different than New Yorkers." What is the main problem with how this research hypothesis has been stated?

Accepted Answer

The main issue with the hypothesis is that it does not specify how the voting patterns of Californians and New Yorkers are different, meaning it does not indicate the direction of the relationship between the variables (e.g., more liberal, more conservative, higher turnout, etc.).

Question 15

A researcher hypothesizes that businesses that adopt telecommuting policies (allowing workers to work at home rather than have to drive to work) have lower turnover than businesses that do not have these policies. In this study, the dependent variable is ______.

Accepted Answer

The dependent variable in this study is the turnover rate, specifically whether or not businesses with telecommuting policies have lower turnover rates than businesses without these policies. Therefore, the correct choice is D, turnover.

Question 16

A researcher hypothesizes that businesses that adopt telecommuting policies (allowing workers to work at home rather than have to drive to work) have lower turnover than businesses that do not have these policies. In this study, the independent variable is ______.

Accepted Answer

The independent variable is the one that is being manipulated or changed in the experiment. In this case, the researcher is manipulating whether or not businesses adopt telecommuting policies.

Question 17

A researcher studying proposed changes to Social Security hypothesizes that people aged 35-54 are less in favor of his changes than either younger or older respondents. In this study, the independent variable is ______.

Accepted Answer

The independent variable in this study is age, as the researcher is interested in comparing responses from different age groups to see if there is a difference in their attitudes towards the proposed changes to Social Security. The other variables (Social Security, attitude towards proposed changes, and proposed changes) are all dependent variables that may be affected by age.

Question 18

Which of the following is an example of a directional hypothesis?

Accepted Answer

A directional hypothesis states the direction of the relationship between variables. In this case, the hypothesis is that women are more likely to experience higher levels of fear of crime than men, indicating a specific direction of the relationship. B and C provide some information on gender differences but do not indicate a clear direction. D is a null hypothesis, stating that there is no difference between men and women in terms of fear of crime.

Question 19

A salesman for the telephone company Yellow Pages tells store owners that the bigger their advertisement, the more calls they will receive from potential customers. In this situation, the dependent variable is ______.

Accepted Answer

The dependent variable is the variable that is being measured or observed, which is the number of calls received by the store owners. The size of the advertisement may be an independent variable, as the salesman is suggesting that it can be changed to affect the dependent variable. However, the dependent variable in this situation is the number of calls received. Therefore, C (number of calls) is the correct choice for the dependent variable.

Question 20

A research team hypothesizes that "children will rate a disciplining strategy emphasizing logic and reason as more effective than one based on rewards and punishment" (Barnett et al., 1996, p. 414). In this study, the independent variable is ______.

Accepted Answer

The independent variable is the variable that is manipulated or changed in order to observe its effects, which in this case is the type of disciplining strategy used. The other variables - children, logic and reason, and effectiveness of disciplining strategy - are either dependent variables or constants.

Quiz 1: Introduction to Statistics

A researcher hypothesizes that students who listen to classical music while studying will perform better on exams than students who study listening to rock. In this study, the independent variable is ; the dependent variable is .

Two researchers hypothesize that "parents who use more frequent verbal punishment...will report more problem behaviors in their children" (Brenner & Fox, 1998, p. 252) . In this study, the dependent variable is ______.