The figure below shows the association between life expectancy and infant mortality for several different countries.Also shown is the equation and correlation from a regression analysis.What is the correct conclusion to draw from the figure?
A)Countries that have low life expectancies and high infant mortality rates seem to have less regard for the sanctity of human life.
B)While there appears to be a very strong association,there is probably not a cause-and-effect relationship between infant mortality and life expectancy.Access to basic health care is probably a lurking variable that drives both life expectancy and infant mortality.
C)Those countries with low life expectancies clearly have no regard for children or expectant mothers.
D)The association must be coincidental.I would expect the association to have a positive slope,not the negative one illustrated above.
E)High infant mortality is causing reduced life expectancy,probably because of the increased emotional stress exerted on parents who have lost a child at birth.

Question

The figure below shows the association between life expectancy and infant mortality for several different countries.Also shown is the equation and correlation from a regression analysis.What is the correct conclusion to draw from the figure? 
A)Countries that have low life expectancies and high infant mortality rates seem to have less regard for the sanctity of human life. 
B)While there appears to be a very strong association,there is probably not a cause-and-effect relationship between infant mortality and life expectancy.Access to basic health care is probably a lurking variable that drives both life expectancy and infant mortality. 
C)Those countries with low life expectancies clearly have no regard for children or expectant mothers. 
D)The association must be coincidental.I would expect the association to have a positive slope,not the negative one illustrated above. 
E)High infant mortality is causing reduced life expectancy,probably because of the increased emotional stress exerted on parents who have lost a child at birth.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The strong association between life expectancy and infant mortality suggests that they are related, but it is likely that access to basic health care is driving both factors. This is a common lurking variable in these types of associations. The negative slope is also expected, as countries with higher life expectancies tend to have lower infant mortality rates. The other choices make unsupported assumptions and do not account for the complexity of the relationship between these factors.

The Figure Below Shows the Association Between Life Expectancy and Infant