Passage
Health psychologists interested in studying the influence of positive and negative thinking on weight loss conducted a study on 120 obese adults attempting to lose weight. Participants indicated on a scale of 1 to 7 how successful they thought they would be at losing weight (1 = "not successful" and 7 = "very successful") and how much control they believed they had over their success (1 = "no control" and 7 = "complete control") , recorded as expectation of success scores and control of success scores, respectively.Participants were then randomly divided into three groups and asked to complete a 15-minute guided mental exercise twice a day for three weeks. Participants in the fantasy/reality contrast condition were instructed to reflect on two positive aspects of a fantasized weight loss, such as attaining better health and more energy, and two negative aspects of reality that impede weight loss, such as lack of discipline and desire to eat unhealthy foods. Participants in the positive fantasy condition were asked to reflect on four positive aspects of weight loss, and participants in the negative reality condition were asked to reflect on four factors that impede weight loss.At the end of this three-week period, participants began a three-month diet and exercise regimen involving caloric restriction to 1,500 calories per day as well as regular participation in aerobic exercise and weight training. Researchers recorded weekly weights of participants and surveyed participants regarding adherence to proactive weight loss strategies. The results are shown by group in Figures 1 and 2.
Figure 1 Average weight recorded for each group during three-month follow-up
Figure 2 Initial expectation of success score versus average weight loss
-If the study researchers concluded that their hypothesis was correct, which of the following was most likely their hypothesis?

Question

Passage
Health psychologists interested in studying the influence of positive and negative thinking on weight loss conducted a study on 120 obese adults attempting to lose weight. Participants indicated on a scale of 1 to 7 how successful they thought they would be at losing weight (1 = "not successful" and 7 = "very successful") and how much control they believed they had over their success (1 = "no control" and 7 = "complete control") , recorded as expectation of success scores and control of success scores, respectively.Participants were then randomly divided into three groups and asked to complete a 15-minute guided mental exercise twice a day for three weeks. Participants in the fantasy/reality contrast condition were instructed to reflect on two positive aspects of a fantasized weight loss, such as attaining better health and more energy, and two negative aspects of reality that impede weight loss, such as lack of discipline and desire to eat unhealthy foods. Participants in the positive fantasy condition were asked to reflect on four positive aspects of weight loss, and participants in the negative reality condition were asked to reflect on four factors that impede weight loss.At the end of this three-week period, participants began a three-month diet and exercise regimen involving caloric restriction to 1,500 calories per day as well as regular participation in aerobic exercise and weight training. Researchers recorded weekly weights of participants and surveyed participants regarding adherence to proactive weight loss strategies. The results are shown by group in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 1 Average weight recorded for each group during three-month follow-up

Figure 2 Initial expectation of success score versus average weight loss
-If the study researchers concluded that their hypothesis was correct, which of the following was most likely their hypothesis?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Figure 2 shows the correlation between weight loss and the initial expectation of success scores of participants in each group. In all groups, individuals with lower expectation of success scores lost less weight, and those with higher expectation of success scores lost more weight. Therefore, expectation of success was positively correlated with weight loss, or, as expectation of success scores increased, so did the amount of weight loss. Pearson's correlation coefficient (r) indicates the strength and direction of the linear relationship between two variables. The closer r is to −1 or 1 (ie, an absolute value of 1), the stronger the correlation. Positive r -values reflect a positive correlation between variables (as one variable increases, so does the other) and negative r -values indicate a negative correlation between variables (as one variable increases, the other decreases). (Choice B) The negative reality group lost weight over time (negative thinking was associated with successful weight loss); therefore, negative thinking does not appear to be negatively correlated with weight loss. (Choices C and D) Figure 1 shows that each group had a similar difference between the average starting weight and average ending weight, suggesting little difference in weight loss success among the groups. The positive fantasy group appeared to have lost approximately the same amount of weight as the other two groups, although the strength of the correlation between success scores and weight loss is the weakest, reflected in the correlation coefficient that has the lowest absolute value. Educational objective: A correlation coefficient (r-value) with an absolute value close to 1 indicates a strong linear relationship between variables. Positive correlations reflect scores that move in the same direction (both increase; both decrease), while negative correlations reflect scores that move in opposite directions (one increases while the other decreases).

Passage Health Psychologists Interested in Studying the Influence of Positive and and Negative