Deck 6: Correlational Research

Question 1

The strength of association between two variables is indicated by which statistical method?

A) Correlation coefficient
B) Cronbach's alpha
C) Dichotomous measurement
D) Histogram

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which of the following statements is an accurate interpretation of the statistical result Pearson r = 0.70?

A) 49% of the variability in one variable is explained by the variability in the other variable and vice versa.
B) 70% of the participants had a high correlation between the two variables.
C) 70% of the variability in one variable is explained by the variability in the other variable and vice versa.
D) 30% of the variability in the stronger variable is explained by weaker variable.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

When one variable precedes the other in time and the correlation between them is high, which statement can be made with confidence?

A) The variable that comes earliest in time causes the other variable.
B) There is a high level of association between the two variables.
C) The two variables have an association with an outcome variable.
D) There are no extraneous variables at work in the situation.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

What does the statistic r² represent?

A) What would happen if the variable were present at twice the levels found
B) The chances that the variables are perfectly correlated
C) The proportion of variation in one variable that is accounted for by variation in the other variable, and vice versa
D) What the correlation coefficient would be if the sample size were twice as large

Question 5

What are the two dimensions that describe a relationship between two variables?

A) Truth and consequences
B) Direction and strength
C) Strength and weakness
D) Increasing and decreasing variation

Question 6

In correlational research when two variables have a very strong relationship, the Pearson r value will be near:

A) one hundred (100).
B) ten (10).
C) one (1).
D) zero (0).

Question 7

A nurse is reviewing results in a study measuring the correlation between pain and patients' activity level. The Pearson r of the association between the two variables is .66. What conclusions can the nurse make about the study results?

A) The variables are related in the population.
B) There is a high level of association between the two variables.
C) The measurement of study variables has high reliability.
D) Pain reduces patients' activity.

Question 8

When a small letter a (e.g., ^a) is beside a Pearson r statistic, what does it usually indicate?

A) The Pearson r value is statistically significant at a specified level.
B) The Pearson r value may not be reliable.
C) The Pearson r value is too low to be statistically significant.
D) The Pearson r value is the correlation of that variable to itself.

Question 9

In the exemplar study about depressive symptoms in patients with heart failure (Graven et al, 2014), which of the following significant relationships was found?

A) Maladaptive problem solving and age were related.
B) Maladaptive problem solving and social support were related.
C) Heart failure symptoms and social support were related.
D) Depressive symptoms and heart failure symptoms were related.

Question 10

What does a p-value of 0.08 mean?

A) There are 8 chances in 100 that the finding is true.
B) There are 8 chances in 100 that the finding is a chance variation.
C) There are 8 chances in 10 that the finding is true.
D) There are 8 chances in 100 that the finding is biased.

Question 11

What does a negative correlation statistic value mean?

A) For most individuals, both variables had values less than zero.
B) The results are the opposite of what was expected.
C) On the whole, individuals with low values on one variable tended to have low values on the other variable.
D) On the whole, individuals with high values on one variable tended to have low values on the other variable.

Question 12

In a correlation study, the p value of a Pearson r statistic is 0.005. What does this mean?

A) There is a small association between the two variables.
B) There is a very small chance that the relationship between the two variables is zero.
C) The variable that is first in time determined .5% of the variation in the other variable.
D) Only 5% of the variables are the result of shared influences.