A researcher is interested in the eventual divorce rates of people who live together before they get married compared to those who do not cohabitate before marriage.Any difference found between these groups would be of interest to the researcher, as well as to the popular media.Which statement is an appropriate research hypothesis for this research?
A) There is no difference in divorce rates between those who cohabitate and those who do not.
B) There is a difference in divorce rates between those who cohabitate and those who do not.
C) People who cohabitate before marriage have a divorce rate twice as high as those who do not.
D) People who do not cohabitate before marriage have a divorce rate twice as high as those who cohabitate.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Both A and B could be considered appropriate hypotheses, as the research is testing whether or not there is a difference in divorce rates between the two groups. However, the researcher is ultimately interested in finding out if there is a significant difference between the divorce rates of those who cohabitate and those who do not. Therefore, B is the best choice as it specifically addresses the research question. Choices C and D are not appropriate as they make specific predictions about the size of the difference, without clear evidence or prior research to support them.

A Researcher Is Interested in the Eventual Divorce Rates of People