Exam 1: Introduction to Statistics

The main purpose of ______ statistics is to ______.

What research method is designed to measure naturally occurring relationships between variables without the ability to infer cause-effect relationships?

If you were to analyze data from written police records from 2000 until 2010, you would be engaging in what type of research?

Two researchers hypothesize "consumers would think that a 'sale price' presentation would generate a greater monetary savings than an 'everyday low price' presentation" (Tom & Ruiz, 1997). In this study, the dependent variable is ______.

Statistics can be defined as a branch of mathematics dealing with the collection, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of masses of numerical data.

"Women are much better than men." What is the main problem with how this research hypothesis is stated?

Which step in the research process involves identifying the question or issue of interest?

A researcher asks people how much money they have given to the tsunami relief effort. This variable may best be described as being measured at the ______ level of measurement.

Which type of research involves the systematic and objective observation of naturally occurring behavior or events?

"Americans are more likely to be obese." What is the main problem with how this research hypothesis has been stated?

Imagine I ask you, "How much time did you spend (in minutes) studying for this exam?" Your answer to this question may best be described as being measured at the ______ level of measurement.

The ______ uses objective and systematic collection and analysis of empirical data to test theories and hypotheses.

A researcher studying proposed changes to Social Security hypothesizes that people aged 35-54 are less in favor of his changes than either younger or older respondents. In this study, the independent variable is ______.

At the beginning of a football game, a coin is flipped to decide which of the two teams will have possession of the ball first. A coach believes that winning the coin flip increases the likelihood of winning the game. In this situation, the independent variable is ______; the dependent variable is ______.

What type of research compares naturally formed or preexisting groups rather than employing random assignment to conditions?

A researcher hypothesizes that students who work part-time have higher college GPAs than students with full-time jobs. In this study, the independent variable is ______; the dependent variable is ______.

A salesman for the telephone company Yellow Pages tells store owners that the bigger their advertisement, the more calls they will receive from potential customers. In this situation, the dependent variable is ______.

A variable that provides an alternative explanation for the relationship between the independent and dependent variables is a(n) ______.

A researcher studying the results of the most recent election hypothesizes that people who attend church regularly were more likely to oppose same sex marriage than non-church goers. In this study, the dependent variable is best described as ______.

One research study stated that "daughters of divorced parents are hypothesized to exhibit higher levels of promiscuity than sons of divorced parents" (Cooney, 1994). In this study, the independent variable is best described as ______.