Question 1

A __________ is any factor that can take on different values along a dimension.

Accepted Answer

A variable is defined as any factor, trait, or condition that can exist in differing amounts or types. It is an element that can vary or change within an experiment or among individuals, making it a fundamental concept in research and statistical analysis.

Question 2

How does correlational research differ from descriptive research?

Accepted Answer

Correlational research focuses on identifying and analyzing the relationships between variables, whereas descriptive research aims at describing characteristics of a population or phenomenon without assessing relationships between variables.

Question 3

A researcher is interested in the impact of sugar consumption on activity level. She records the amount of sugar consumed by a group of fifth graders and relates it to teacher ratings of the children's activity level. This study is BEST described as:

Accepted Answer

This study is best described as correlational because it involves observing and measuring the relationship between two variables (sugar consumption and activity level) without manipulating any of the variables.

Question 4

A researcher interested in children's moral development is curious about whether children who come from large, extended families are more compassionate than children with only one sibling. Which research method would be most effective in assessing the relationship between children's empathy and family size?

Accepted Answer

Correlational research is most effective for assessing the relationship between two variables (in this case, children's empathy and family size) without manipulating any variables. This method allows researchers to determine whether there is a statistical relationship between family size and levels of compassion in children.

Question 5

Studies suggest that the greater the amount of alcohol consumed during pregnancy the greater the risk of birth defects. The relationship between alcohol consumption and birth defects is BEST described as:

Accepted Answer

A positive correlation exists because as the amount of alcohol consumed increases, the risk of birth defects also increases.

Question 6

Recent evidence suggests that children with younger fathers are at increased risk for developing at least one form of Alzheimer's disease. If the chance of having Alzheimer's increases as the age of the father decreases, the relationship between age of father and likelihood of having Alzheimer's disease is described as:

Accepted Answer

A negative correlation exists when one variable increases as the other decreases. In this case, as the age of the father decreases, the risk of Alzheimer's disease in children increases, indicating a negative correlation.

Question 7

If a researcher discovers that parental use of physical punishment is positively correlated with children's aggression, we would conclude that:

Accepted Answer

A correlation indicates a relationship between two variables, but it does not imply causation. The statement in choice A accurately reflects what can be concluded from a positive correlation: as one variable increases, so does the other.

Question 8

A researcher interested in the effects of daycare on development discovers that the number of hours spent in group day care settings prior to entering school and academic performance in first grade have a correlation coefficient of 0.08. The conclusion we could draw from this finding is that:

Accepted Answer

The correlation coefficient of 0.08 is very close to 0, indicating a very weak or no linear relationship between the number of hours spent in group day care settings before entering school and academic performance in first grade. Therefore, it suggests that there is no important relationship between time spent in day care as a young child and academic performance in first grade.

Question 9

Imagine a researcher discovers a -0.98 correlation between the number of hours children play computer games per week and their popularity as rated by classmates. This statistic would allow us to make which of the following conclusions?

Accepted Answer

A correlation of -0.98 indicates a strong negative relationship between the number of hours children play computer games and their popularity, meaning as the hours spent on computer games increase, popularity tends to decrease.

Question 10

If you conducted a study and found a positive correlation between amount of oat bran in the diet and cholesterol level, you could conclude that:

Accepted Answer

A positive correlation indicates a relationship between two variables, but it does not establish causation. It simply means that as the amount of oat bran in the diet increases, cholesterol levels also tend to increase, or vice versa, without implying that one causes the other.

Question 11

A graphic illustration of a correlation between two variables is known as a:

Accepted Answer

A scatter diagram (or scatter plot) is a type of graph used in statistics to visually display and compare two variables, illustrating the relationship (correlation) between them.

Question 12

Imagine that a study of the effects of Sesame Street on children's cognitive development reveals a correlation coefficient of +0.78 between the number of hours of Sesame Street viewed each week and children's reading level. Based on this evidence, which of the following conclusions may be true?

Accepted Answer

The correlation coefficient of +0.78 indicates a strong positive relationship between the number of hours of Sesame Street viewed and children's reading level, but it does not imply causation. Therefore, any of the provided explanations (A, B, C) could potentially account for this correlation, making D the correct answer.

Question 13

The only way to determine whether two variables are causally related is to conduct a(n):

Accepted Answer

Experiments are designed to test hypotheses about causal relationships by manipulating one variable (the independent variable) and observing the effect on another variable (the dependent variable), while controlling for other potential confounding variables. This allows researchers to infer causality. Correlational, descriptive, and laboratory studies can suggest associations but cannot definitively establish cause and effect.

Question 14

What is one difference between correlational and experimental research?

Accepted Answer

In experimental research, the researcher manipulates one variable (independent variable) to determine if changes in one variable cause changes in another variable (dependent variable). This manipulation is not present in correlational research, which observes naturally occurring relationships between variables without manipulating them.

Question 15

What is one difference between correlational and experimental research?

Accepted Answer

Correlational research identifies whether a relationship exists between two or more variables, but it does not establish a cause-effect relationship. Experimental research, on the other hand, manipulates one variable to determine its effect on another, thus allowing for conclusions about causality.

Question 16

The variable that is systematically manipulated in an experiment is known as the:

Accepted Answer

The independent variable is the one that is changed or controlled in a scientific experiment to test the effects on the dependent variable.

Question 17

An aspect of behaviour on which an experimental manipulation is predicted to have an effect is known as the:

Accepted Answer

The dependent variable is the aspect of behavior that is expected to change or be affected as a result of the experimental manipulation, which is typically the independent variable.

Question 18

In order to examine whether infants respond differently to attractive and unattractive faces, Judith Langlois and her colleagues measured the social responses of 12-month-old infants interacting with a stranger wearing either an attractive or an unattractive mask. What is the dependent variable in this study?

Accepted Answer

The dependent variable is the outcome that is being measured in the study, which in this case is the social responses of the infants to the masks.

Question 19

In an effort to assess the impact of collaboration on learning, a researcher assigns one group of seventh-graders to work with a partner in designing and conducting a science experiment and another group to do the same assignment alone. The researcher then evaluates the quality of the experiments and interviews the children about the scientific concepts they were asked to test. What was the independent variable in this study?

Accepted Answer

The independent variable is the condition or factor that is manipulated by the researcher to observe its effect on the dependent variable. In this study, the manipulation was whether the children worked alone or with a partner.

Question 20

In an effort to determine infant visual preferences, Robert Fantz presented infants with different patterns such as a bull's eye, stripes, and a face. He then measured how long babies of different ages looked at each pattern. What is the dependent variable in this study?

Accepted Answer

The dependent variable is the length of time the babies looked at each pattern, as this is the outcome being measured in response to the different stimuli presented to them.

Quiz 2: Research Methods

A __________ is any factor that can take on different values along a dimension.

How does correlational research differ from descriptive research?

A researcher is interested in the impact of sugar consumption on activity level. She records the amount of sugar consumed by a group of fifth graders and relates it to teacher ratings of the children's activity level. This study is BEST described as:

Studies suggest that the greater the amount of alcohol consumed during pregnancy the greater the risk of birth defects. The relationship between alcohol consumption and birth defects is BEST described as:

If a researcher discovers that parental use of physical punishment is positively correlated with children's aggression, we would conclude that:

A researcher interested in the effects of daycare on development discovers that the number of hours spent in group day care settings prior to entering school and academic performance in first grade have a correlation coefficient of 0.08. The conclusion we could draw from this finding is that:

Imagine a researcher discovers a -0.98 correlation between the number of hours children play computer games per week and their popularity as rated by classmates. This statistic would allow us to make which of the following conclusions?

If you conducted a study and found a positive correlation between amount of oat bran in the diet and cholesterol level, you could conclude that:

A graphic illustration of a correlation between two variables is known as a:

Imagine that a study of the effects of Sesame Street on children's cognitive development reveals a correlation coefficient of +0.78 between the number of hours of Sesame Street viewed each week and children's reading level. Based on this evidence, which of the following conclusions may be true?

The only way to determine whether two variables are causally related is to conduct a(n) :

What is one difference between correlational and experimental research?

What is one difference between correlational and experimental research?

The variable that is systematically manipulated in an experiment is known as the:

An aspect of behaviour on which an experimental manipulation is predicted to have an effect is known as the:

In an effort to determine infant visual preferences, Robert Fantz presented infants with different patterns such as a bull's eye, stripes, and a face. He then measured how long babies of different ages looked at each pattern. What is the dependent variable in this study?