RESEARCH METHODS EXAM #20 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
RESEARCH STUDY 8.1: Dr. Guidry conducts a study examining the relationship
between the number of friends one has and the experience of daily stress and life
satisfaction. She randomly samples 1,500 elderly men and women in Nashville,
Tennessee (the state capital), located in the southern United States. Below are her
findings.
• Life satisfaction and experience of daily stress: r = −.57 ( p = .01)
• Number of friends one has and experience of daily stress: r = .09, not sig.
• Number of friends one has and life satisfaction: r = .36 ( p = .04)
**In determining whether the relationship between two of Dr. Guidry's variables was
statistically significant, which of the following must be considered?
A. The number of outliers and the direction of the association
B. Direction of the association and strength of the association
C. Sample size and effect size
D. Sample size and number of variables analyzed - correct answer c. Sample size and
effect size
RESEARCH STUDY 8.1: Dr. Guidry conducts a study examining the relationship
between the number of friends one has and the experience of daily stress and life
satisfaction. She randomly samples 1,500 elderly men and women in Nashville,
Tennessee (the state capital), located in the southern United States. Below are her
findings.
• Life satisfaction and experience of daily stress: r = −.57 ( p = .01)
• Number of friends one has and experience of daily stress: r = .09, not sig.
• Number of friends one has and life satisfaction: r = .36 ( p = .04)
**Dr. Guidry creates a scatterplot of the relationship between the experience of daily
stress and life satisfaction. In doing so, she realizes there are three scores that seem to
be very extreme and are nowhere near the other points on the scatterplot. Specifically, it
appears that three people report very high levels of daily stress and very low levels of
life satisfaction. - correct answer b. Outliers
What graph format is the best way to examine an association claim between a
categorical variable and a quantitative variable? - correct answer bar graph
RESEARCH STUDY 8.1: Dr. Guidry conducts a study examining the relationship
between the number of friends one has and the experience of daily stress and life
satisfaction. She randomly samples 1,500 elderly men and women in Nashville,
Tennessee (the state capital), located in the southern United States. Below are her
findings.
• Life satisfaction and experience of daily stress: r = −.57 ( p = .01)
• Number of friends one has and experience of daily stress: r = .09, not sig.
• Number of friends one has and life satisfaction: r = .36 ( p = .04)
, **Which of the following conclusions can Dr. Guidry draw about the number of friends
one has and life satisfaction based on her statistical analyses?
A. The relationship is not statistically significant.
B. The strong correlation means that the number of friends one has causes an increase
in life satisfaction.
C. The probability of her sample coming from a zero association p - correct answer d.
The probability of her sample coming from a zero association population is about 4%
RESEARCH STUDY 8.1: Dr. Guidry conducts a study examining the relationship
between the number of friends one has and the experience of daily stress and life
satisfaction. She randomly samples 1,500 elderly men and women in Nashville,
Tennessee (the state capital), located in the southern United States. Below are her
findings.
• Life satisfaction and experience of daily stress: r = −.57 ( p = .01)
• Number of friends one has and experience of daily stress: r = .09, not sig.
• Number of friends one has and life satisfaction: r = .36 ( p = .04)
**Dr. Guidry finds that the relationship between the number of friends one has and life
satisfaction is stronger for men than for women.
In this study, sex (male or female) is considered a(n):
A. Spurious variable.
B. Moderator.
C. Outlier.
D. Cause. - correct answer b. Moderator.
What is the relationship between moderators and external validity?
A. Moderators are necessary for external validity to be established.
B. Moderators suggest that an association between two variables will extend to another
variable.
C. Moderators suggest that associations may not generalize to all subgroups of people.
D. Moderators suggest that associations may be spurious. - correct answer c.
Moderators suggest that associations may not generalize to all subgroups of people.
A study finds a correlation coefficient of r = .52. This number gives you information
about which of the following?
A. Statistical validity and external validity
B. Statistical significance and effect size
C. Strength and direction of the relationship
D. Type of relationship and importance - correct answer c. Strength and direction of the
relationship
Martin has found a correlation of r = .18 between the two variables of using prescription
stimulants (e.g., Adderall) and frontal lobe activity.
RESEARCH STUDY 8.1: Dr. Guidry conducts a study examining the relationship
between the number of friends one has and the experience of daily stress and life
satisfaction. She randomly samples 1,500 elderly men and women in Nashville,
Tennessee (the state capital), located in the southern United States. Below are her
findings.
• Life satisfaction and experience of daily stress: r = −.57 ( p = .01)
• Number of friends one has and experience of daily stress: r = .09, not sig.
• Number of friends one has and life satisfaction: r = .36 ( p = .04)
**In determining whether the relationship between two of Dr. Guidry's variables was
statistically significant, which of the following must be considered?
A. The number of outliers and the direction of the association
B. Direction of the association and strength of the association
C. Sample size and effect size
D. Sample size and number of variables analyzed - correct answer c. Sample size and
effect size
RESEARCH STUDY 8.1: Dr. Guidry conducts a study examining the relationship
between the number of friends one has and the experience of daily stress and life
satisfaction. She randomly samples 1,500 elderly men and women in Nashville,
Tennessee (the state capital), located in the southern United States. Below are her
findings.
• Life satisfaction and experience of daily stress: r = −.57 ( p = .01)
• Number of friends one has and experience of daily stress: r = .09, not sig.
• Number of friends one has and life satisfaction: r = .36 ( p = .04)
**Dr. Guidry creates a scatterplot of the relationship between the experience of daily
stress and life satisfaction. In doing so, she realizes there are three scores that seem to
be very extreme and are nowhere near the other points on the scatterplot. Specifically, it
appears that three people report very high levels of daily stress and very low levels of
life satisfaction. - correct answer b. Outliers
What graph format is the best way to examine an association claim between a
categorical variable and a quantitative variable? - correct answer bar graph
RESEARCH STUDY 8.1: Dr. Guidry conducts a study examining the relationship
between the number of friends one has and the experience of daily stress and life
satisfaction. She randomly samples 1,500 elderly men and women in Nashville,
Tennessee (the state capital), located in the southern United States. Below are her
findings.
• Life satisfaction and experience of daily stress: r = −.57 ( p = .01)
• Number of friends one has and experience of daily stress: r = .09, not sig.
• Number of friends one has and life satisfaction: r = .36 ( p = .04)
, **Which of the following conclusions can Dr. Guidry draw about the number of friends
one has and life satisfaction based on her statistical analyses?
A. The relationship is not statistically significant.
B. The strong correlation means that the number of friends one has causes an increase
in life satisfaction.
C. The probability of her sample coming from a zero association p - correct answer d.
The probability of her sample coming from a zero association population is about 4%
RESEARCH STUDY 8.1: Dr. Guidry conducts a study examining the relationship
between the number of friends one has and the experience of daily stress and life
satisfaction. She randomly samples 1,500 elderly men and women in Nashville,
Tennessee (the state capital), located in the southern United States. Below are her
findings.
• Life satisfaction and experience of daily stress: r = −.57 ( p = .01)
• Number of friends one has and experience of daily stress: r = .09, not sig.
• Number of friends one has and life satisfaction: r = .36 ( p = .04)
**Dr. Guidry finds that the relationship between the number of friends one has and life
satisfaction is stronger for men than for women.
In this study, sex (male or female) is considered a(n):
A. Spurious variable.
B. Moderator.
C. Outlier.
D. Cause. - correct answer b. Moderator.
What is the relationship between moderators and external validity?
A. Moderators are necessary for external validity to be established.
B. Moderators suggest that an association between two variables will extend to another
variable.
C. Moderators suggest that associations may not generalize to all subgroups of people.
D. Moderators suggest that associations may be spurious. - correct answer c.
Moderators suggest that associations may not generalize to all subgroups of people.
A study finds a correlation coefficient of r = .52. This number gives you information
about which of the following?
A. Statistical validity and external validity
B. Statistical significance and effect size
C. Strength and direction of the relationship
D. Type of relationship and importance - correct answer c. Strength and direction of the
relationship
Martin has found a correlation of r = .18 between the two variables of using prescription
stimulants (e.g., Adderall) and frontal lobe activity.
