Question 1

A correlation coefficient of .10 between SAT score and college GPA is statistically significant at p < .01. This indicates that the association is

Accepted Answer

A correlation coefficient of .10 is considered weak, but since it is statistically significant at p < .01, it indicates that the association, although weak, is unlikely to be due to chance.

Question 2

A correlation coefficient provides information on all but which one of the following properties?

Accepted Answer

A correlation coefficient does not provide information on statistical significance; it only indicates the direction and strength of the relationship between two variables. Statistical significance is determined through hypothesis testing.

Question 3

Based on a random sample survey of a college student body, you find that the correlation between the frequency of reported church attendance and the frequency of reported alcohol consumption is −.12. This correlation was significant at p < .01. This means that

Accepted Answer

There is a weak but significant negative correlation between church attendance and alcohol consumption, as indicated by the correlation coefficient of -0.12 and the significance level of p < .01.

Question 4

Respondents in a campus survey are drawn from a random sample of the entire student body. Therefore, it is appropriate to conduct tests of statistical significance. A significance level of p < .001 for a particular relationship would indicate that the relationship

Accepted Answer

A significance level of p < .001 indicates that there is less than a 0.1% probability that the observed relationship occurred by chance, suggesting that the relationship is likely to exist for the entire student body.

Question 5

Sampson and Laub studied the effect of childhood deviance on adult crime. They found that children who had been committed to a correctional school for persistent delinquency were much more likely to have committed crimes as adults. Which criteria(on) for establishing causality are (is) satisfied in this study?

Accepted Answer

The study establishes an association between childhood deviance and adult crime and suggests a direction of influence from childhood behavior to adult outcomes. However, it does not necessarily rule out other factors that could influence both childhood deviance and adult crime, so nonspuriousness is not fully established.

Question 6

Tests of statistical significance indicate that which of the following criteria for establishing causality has been met?

Accepted Answer

Tests of statistical significance are used to determine if there is an association between variables, which is the first criterion for establishing causality.

Question 7

In which of the following hypotheses is the independent variable (in other words, the temporal order or direction of influence) most clear?

Accepted Answer

The independent variable is clear in hypothesis E because breastfeeding is an event that occurs early in a child's life, before IQ can be measured, establishing a clear temporal order.

Question 8

A nonspurious relationship implies that

Accepted Answer

A nonspurious relationship implies that there is a genuine causal link between the independent and dependent variables, meaning the relationship is not due to some other variable or coincidence.

Question 9

Data from a U.S. survey showed that boys whose parents were divorced and separated had more behavioral problems than boys living with both biological parents. Evidence that this finding held up when the researchers controlled for social class and race would

Accepted Answer

Controlling for social class and race helps to rule out these variables as alternative explanations, thus strengthening the inference that the relationship between parental divorce/separation and behavioral problems is not due to these other factors, making it more likely to be nonspurious.

Question 10

If an empirical relationship between an independent variable and a dependent variable is maintained when the effects of all antecedent variables are controlled or held constant, the relationship is

Accepted Answer

When the effects of all antecedent variables are controlled or held constant, the relationship between an independent variable and a dependent variable is nonspurious. This means that the relationship is not due to the influence of other variables.

Question 11

Suppose you find that the more educated people are, the more likely they are to vote. When you analyze the impact of the variable "interest in politics," you find that education is associated with interest in politics, and people who are interested in politics are more likely to vote. As a (an) __________ variable, interest in politics __________.

Accepted Answer

Interest in politics is an intervening variable that explains how education affects the likelihood of voting by showing that education increases interest in politics, which in turn increases voting likelihood.

Question 12

Suppose there is an association between variables X and Y. Showing empirically that a variable intervenes between X and Y

Accepted Answer

Identifying an intervening variable helps to understand the mechanism or process through which X affects Y, thereby enhancing the theoretical understanding of their relationship.

Question 13

Several studies have found that students who drink heavily are more likely than other students to miss class, get behind in school work, and perform poorly on examinations. From this finding, we can conclude confidently that

Accepted Answer

The studies show a correlation between heavy drinking and poor academic performance, but they do not establish causation. Therefore, we can only conclude that there is an association.

Question 14

In a survey of American high schools, it was found that students who attended private schools showed higher academic achievement than students who attended public schools. Which of the following variables could create a spurious correlation between type of school (private versus public) and academic achievement?

Accepted Answer

Parent's income could create a spurious correlation because families with higher income might be more likely to afford private schooling and also provide additional resources that contribute to higher academic achievement, independently of the type of school attended.

Question 15

In her analysis of data from a national survey of high school students, Beckett Broh found that students who played interscholastic sports tended to perform better academically than those who did not play; moreover, this association was statistically significant. Based on this information, it would be appropriate to conclude that

Accepted Answer

The information provided indicates a statistically significant association between playing sports and academic performance, but it does not establish causation or rule out other factors that might influence the relationship.

Question 16

Morris (Box 4.1) found a higher incidence of heart disease among drivers than among conductors of London's double-decker buses. Which of the following variables may have created a spurious association between job type and heart disease?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Morris (Box 4.1) found a higher incidence...

Question 17

According to the text, good research questions should be

Accepted Answer

A good research question should be researchable, meaning that it can be investigated using available methods and resources. It should also be interesting, as this will motivate the researcher to conduct the study.

Question 18

To state that a good research question should be "interesting" means that it should

Accepted Answer

A good research question should extend previous research in new directions, making it interesting by contributing new insights or perspectives to the field.

Question 19

In her review of the literature on sports participation and grades, Broh found that previous research

Accepted Answer

Broh found that previous research had not adequately examined theoretical explanations of how sports participation affects grades, indicating a gap in understanding the mechanisms behind the relationship.

Question 20

Which of the following is the best statement of a hypothesis?

Accepted Answer

A hypothesis should be a testable statement predicting a relationship between variables. "Women are more likely to oppose pornography than are men" is a clear, specific, and testable hypothesis.

Quiz 4: Elements of Research Design