Charlotte is investigating the influence of multiple factors such as age, gender and income on how much money an individual spends on grocery shopping every month. Which of the following statistical tests best suits her study design?
A) Linear regression
B) Chi-square test
C) Pearson correlation
D) Spearman rank order correlation

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Linear regression is the best statistical test for investigating the influence of multiple factors on a dependent variable. It can be used to analyze the relationship between the dependent variable (grocery shopping expenses) and multiple independent variables (age, gender, income) by estimating the coefficients for each independent variable. Chi-square test is used for analyzing the association between two categorical variables, Pearson correlation is used to measure the strength of linear relationship between two continuous variables, and Spearman rank order correlation is used when the relationship between two variables is non-linear or when one or both variables are ordinal rather than interval/ratio.

Charlotte Is Investigating the Influence of Multiple Factors Such as Age