Exhibit 12-4: An investigator found that the proportion of graduates of private high schools who are admitted to prestigious colleges is much higher than the proportion of public high school graduates whom these colleges admit.The investigator might conclude that private high schools do a better job-preparing students for college.Or, and investigator could propose many other hypotheses.Choose the correct hypothesis.
-Refer to Exhibit 12-4.Which of the following is a hypothesis of common cause?
A) the same things that motivate parents and students to select private schools instead of public schools motivate them to do what is necessary to get into prestigious colleges.
B) admissions officers in prestigious colleges are biased in favor of private school graduates.
C) the milieu of private schools is more similar to college than the milieu of public schools.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A hypothesis of common cause suggests that two or more variables are related due to the influence of a third variable that affects them both. In this case, the common cause could be the motivation of parents and students to select private schools, which may also lead them to take actions that increase the likelihood of being admitted to prestigious colleges. Options B and C are not hypotheses of common cause because they propose direct causal relationships between private school attendance and college admission.

Exhibit 12-4: an Investigator Found That the Proportion of Graduates