Question 1

If a researcher is trying to predict college grades, knowing high school grades, then

Accepted Answer

The prediction will be poorer if only the top 20% of high school students are used because it restricts the range of the predictor variable, reducing variability and potentially weakening the correlation.

Question 2

Which of the following is true about a correlation of +.70 between variables A and B?

Accepted Answer

The coefficient of determination, which is the square of the correlation coefficient (+.70), indicates that about 49% of the variability in A can be accounted for by variability in B.

Question 3

To predict college success from a combination of high school grades, weighted letters of recommendation, and SAT scores, an admissions department would probably use what procedure?

Accepted Answer

Multiple regression is used to predict an outcome based on multiple predictors, such as high school grades, letters of recommendation, and SAT scores in this case.

Question 4

Multiple regression involves

Accepted Answer

Multiple regression involves one criterion (dependent) variable and two or more predictor (independent) variables to understand the relationship between them.

Question 5

A study using a ________ helps to solve the third variable problem.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A study using a ________ helps to...

Question 6

Suppose you investigate the relationship between college grades and time spent on Facebook and discover that the correlation is -.71. What does this tell you?

Accepted Answer

A correlation of -.71 indicates a strong negative relationship, meaning that as time spent on Facebook increases, college grades tend to decrease.

Question 7

Eron and his colleagues (1972)were able to show that TV viewing preferences were related to aggressiveness ten years later. What procedure did they use?

Accepted Answer

Eron and his colleagues used the cross-lagged panel correlation procedure to examine the relationship between TV viewing preferences and aggressiveness over time, allowing them to assess the directionality of the relationship.

Question 8

A study using a ________ helps to solve the directionality problem.

Accepted Answer

A cross-lagged panel correlation helps to solve the directionality problem by examining the relationships between variables over time, allowing researchers to infer causal directions.

Question 9

A regression equation is used for

Accepted Answer

A regression equation is primarily used to make predictions about a dependent variable based on the value of an independent variable.

Question 10

If there is a strong relationship between variable A and variable B, it could be that A is causing B to occur, but it could also be that B is causing A to occur. This is known as the

Accepted Answer

The directionality problem refers to the difficulty in determining which variable is the cause and which is the effect when two variables are correlated.

Question 11

Research using regression analyses is useful for

Accepted Answer

Regression analyses are used to make predictions about the dependent variable based on the independent variables.

Question 12

A study using a partial correlation helps to solve the _______ problem.

Accepted Answer

Partial correlation is used to control for the influence of a third variable, allowing researchers to examine the relationship between two variables while holding the third variable constant.

Question 13

A study using a cross-lagged panel correlation helps to solve the _______ problem.

Accepted Answer

A cross-lagged panel correlation helps to address the directionality problem by examining the relationships between variables over time, allowing researchers to infer potential causal directions.

Question 14

The coefficient of determination

Accepted Answer

The coefficient of determination, denoted as R², represents the proportion of variance in the dependent variable that is predictable from the independent variable(s). It is calculated as the square of Pearson's r, and since it is a squared value, it will never be negative.

Question 15

A researcher believes that anxiety disorders in children can be predicted by a combination of several variables: shyness in preschool, mother dominance, and father absence. This study will use which procedure?

Accepted Answer

Multiple regression is used to predict the value of a dependent variable based on the values of multiple independent variables. In this case, the researcher is predicting anxiety disorders using shyness, mother dominance, and father absence.

Question 16

Ed took a Civil Service Test and was subsequently hired by the Post Office, where he performed well. The Civil Service Test was used because

Accepted Answer

The Civil Service Test was used because it had been shown to be an effective predictor variable, meaning it could effectively predict job performance.

Question 17

A researcher discovers a correlation of +.87 between study time and GPA. What can be concluded?

Accepted Answer

A correlation of +.87 indicates a strong positive relationship between study time and GPA, meaning that generally, as study time increases, GPA tends to be higher. However, correlation does not imply causation, so we cannot conclude that studying more will directly cause a higher GPA.

Question 18

A researcher discovers a strong correlation between the number of hours spent watching TV and the level of aggression shown at school. What can be concluded?

Accepted Answer

A correlation allows for prediction but does not establish causation, so while TV-watching patterns can help predict aggressiveness, it doesn't prove causation.

Question 19

In a study examining the relationship between A and B, the coefficient of determination

Accepted Answer

The coefficient of determination, often denoted as R², indicates how much variability in one variable can be accounted for by another variable, and it is found by squaring the value of Pearson's r.

Question 20

If there is a strong correlation between variables A and B, what is the most likely explanation?

Accepted Answer

Correlation does not imply causation, so without further information, any of the options could be possible explanations for the correlation.

Quiz 9: Non-Experimental Design I: Survey Methods