Having found that people from similar socioeconomic backgrounds are more likely to become friends than people from different backgrounds, a researcher wanted to test the hypothesis that this effect is due to the fact that people from the same socioeconomic background are more likely to share similar attitudes. What could the researcher use to examine this hypothesis?
A)Coefficient of determination
B)Partial correlation
C)A scatterplot
D)Pearson correlation

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Partial correlation can be used to examine the relationship between two variables (e.g., friendship formation and attitude similarity) while controlling for the effects of one or more other variables (e.g., socioeconomic background). This would allow the researcher to isolate the effect of shared attitudes on friendship formation, independent of socioeconomic background.

Having Found That People from Similar Socioeconomic Backgrounds Are More