A correlation coefficient shows that smoking and life expectancy are indeed related. As a result, a researcher could predict that ________ if the direction of the relationship is known.
A) if a person smokes a lot of cigarettes, he or she will have less money monthly to buy gas
B) the person's life expectancy will go up or down based on the number of cigarettes the person smokes daily
C) if a person smokes cigarettes, he or she will eventually develop lung cancer
D) a person's lungs will repair themselves and he or she will live a longer life

Question

A correlation coefficient shows that smoking and life expectancy are indeed related. As a result, a researcher could predict that ________ if the direction of the relationship is known.
A) if a person smokes a lot of cigarettes, he or she will have less money monthly to buy gas
B) the person's life expectancy will go up or down based on the number of cigarettes the person smokes daily 
C) if a person smokes cigarettes, he or she will eventually develop lung cancer
D) a person's lungs will repair themselves and he or she will live a longer life

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The correlation coefficient indicates a relationship between smoking and life expectancy, so a researcher could predict that the person's life expectancy will be affected by the number of cigarettes they smoke. However, the direction of the relationship (whether smoking leads to a decrease or increase in life expectancy) is not specified by the correlation coefficient alone. Therefore, it is not possible to choose answer choices A, C, or D based solely on the correlation coefficient.

A Correlation Coefficient Shows That Smoking and Life Expectancy Are