Exam 9: Multivariate Correlational Research

RESEARCH STUDY 9.1: Dr.Farah is an educational psychologist who is interested in studying the potential causal relationship between doing homework and academic achievement.In January, Dr.Farah has her students report their fall GPA (a measure of academic achievement) and estimate how many hours they spent doing homework during a typical week in the fall semester.In May, Dr.Farah measures the same variables again (the estimated number of hours spent doing homework during a typical week in the spring semester and their spring GPA).She finds the following correlations. Of the correlations listed, how many are cross-sectional correlations?

Why is the statistical validity of a multiple regression design more complicated to interrogate than a bivariate design?

RESEARCH STUDY 9.1: Dr.Farah is an educational psychologist who is interested in studying the potential causal relationship between doing homework and academic achievement.In January, Dr.Farah has her students report their fall GPA (a measure of academic achievement) and estimate how many hours they spent doing homework during a typical week in the fall semester.In May, Dr.Farah measures the same variables again (the estimated number of hours spent doing homework during a typical week in the spring semester and their spring GPA).She finds the following correlations. Which of the following correlations is a cross-lag correlation?

RESEARCH STUDY 9.3: Dr.Cheong is a clinical psychologist who is curious about how people deal with natural disasters to report on how their well-being was affected by the hurricane, the social support felt after the storm, and the number of PTSD symptoms.Dr.Cheong finds support for his proposed relationship.However, in examining his data more closely, he finds that the relationship between emotional well-being and PTSD symptoms is stronger for men than for women. Which of the following is the mediating variable in Dr.Cheong's hypothesis?

RESEARCH STUDY 9.5: Dr.Nguyen is a psychologist who studies legal decision making.Specifically, he is curious about the factors that are irrelevant to the crime committed that influence the sentences juries give to defendants (known as extra-legal factors).To study this further, he samples a group of jury-eligible adults from the Memphis area.He provides them with the fact pattern to a particular case and allows them to watch the closing statements from the trial.He then asks them to provide a sentence (in months) for the defendant.In addition, he measures two legal factors (the number of arguments made by the prosecuting attorney and the length of time the defense attorney speaks during his or her closing argument) and two extra-legal factors (how attractive the participants think the defendant is [higher scores indicate higher ratings of attractiveness] and how many legal televisions shows the participants watch).The data are below. Explain whether Dr.Nguyen could conduct an experiment instead of a multiple regression design.Regardless, why would an experiment be better than his current study?

When determining mediation, how many steps are necessary?

RESEARCH STUDY 9.5: Dr.Nguyen is a psychologist who studies legal decision making.Specifically, he is curious about the factors that are irrelevant to the crime committed that influence the sentences juries give to defendants (known as extra-legal factors).To study this further, he samples a group of jury-eligible adults from the Memphis area.He provides them with the fact pattern to a particular case and allows them to watch the closing statements from the trial.He then asks them to provide a sentence (in months) for the defendant.In addition, he measures two legal factors (the number of arguments made by the prosecuting attorney and the length of time the defense attorney speaks during his or her closing argument) and two extra-legal factors (how attractive the participants think the defendant is [higher scores indicate higher ratings of attractiveness] and how many legal television shows the participants watch).The data are below. List the predictor and dependent/criterion variables in Dr.Nguyen's study.

Which of the following is a reason why multiple regression designs are inferior to experimental designs?

If a researcher is asking why the relationship between two variables exists, she is curious about which of the following?

Explain why longitudinal designs can help researchers make causal statements.If a researcher is hoping to make a causal statement, why would a researcher use a longitudinal design instead of an experimental design?

RESEARCH STUDY 9.1: Dr.Farah is an educational psychologist who is interested in studying the potential causal relationship between doing homework and academic achievement.In January, Dr.Farah has her students report their fall GPA (a measure of academic achievement) and estimate how many hours they spent doing homework during a typical week in the fall semester.In May, Dr.Farah measures the same variables again (the estimated number of hours spent doing homework during a typical week in the spring semester and their spring GPA).She finds the following correlations. What type of study design is Dr.Farah using?

Why is it problematic when journalists only report on a single study?

RESEARCH STUDY 9.1: Dr.Farah is an educational psychologist who is interested in studying the potential causal relationship between doing homework and academic achievement.In January, Dr.Farah has her students report their fall GPA (a measure of academic achievement) and estimate how many hours they spent doing homework during a typical week in the fall semester.In May, Dr.Farah measures the same variables again (the estimated number of hours spent doing homework during a typical week in the spring semester and their spring GPA).She finds the following correlations. Which of the following correlations is a cross-sectional correlation?

RESEARCH STUDY 9.1: Dr.Farah is an educational psychologist who is interested in studying the potential causal relationship between doing homework and academic achievement.In January, Dr.Farah has her students report their fall GPA (a measure of academic achievement) and estimate how many hours they spent doing homework during a typical week in the fall semester.In May, Dr.Farah measures the same variables again (the estimated number of hours spent doing homework during a typical week in the spring semester and their spring GPA).She finds the following correlations. For Dr.Farah to make the claim that homework causes academic achievement, which correlation does she predict will NOT be significant?

RESEARCH STUDY 9.2: Dr.Finkel is a social psychologist who studies romantic relationships.Several researchers have found that there is a link between income and marital satisfaction .Dr.Finkel is curious as to whether there is a causal link between the two variables, such that having a higher income causes higher levels of marital satisfaction.He is confident that he cannot reasonably or ethically manipulate people's income level, so he decides to use a multivariate design.He is also curious as to whether there is a causal link between these two variables or if two other variables (number of arguments and life satisfaction) can explain the relationship.He measures his three variables in a sample of 124 married couples recruited from a local community center.Below are his results. Which of the following can be concluded based on the results of Dr.Finkel's study?

RESEARCH STUDY 9.2: Dr.Finkel is a social psychologist who studies romantic relationships.Several researchers have found that there is a link between income and marital satisfaction .Dr.Finkel is curious as to whether there is a causal link between the two variables, such that having a higher income causes higher levels of marital satisfaction.He is confident that he cannot reasonably or ethically manipulate people's income level, so he decides to use a multivariate design.He is also curious as to whether there is a causal link between these two variables or if two other variables (number of arguments and life satisfaction) can explain the relationship.He measures his three variables in a sample of 124 married couples recruited from a local community center.Below are his results. Which of the following is NOT a predictor variable in Dr.Finkel's study?

Which popular media headline does NOT suggest that a multiple regression has been used?

Which of the following is true of multiple regression?

RESEARCH STUDY 9.2: Dr.Finkel is a social psychologist who studies romantic relationships.Several researchers have found that there is a link between income and marital satisfaction .Dr.Finkel is curious as to whether there is a causal link between the two variables, such that having a higher income causes higher levels of marital satisfaction.He is confident that he cannot reasonably or ethically manipulate people's income level, so he decides to use a multivariate design.He is also curious as to whether there is a causal link between these two variables or if two other variables (number of arguments and life satisfaction) can explain the relationship.He measures his three variables in a sample of 124 married couples recruited from a local community center.Below are his results. Which of the following is a criterion variable in Dr.Finkel's study?

RESEARCH STUDY 9.2: Dr.Finkel is a social psychologist who studies romantic relationships.Several researchers have found that there is a link between income and marital satisfaction .Dr.Finkel is curious as to whether there is a causal link between the two variables, such that having a higher income causes higher levels of marital satisfaction.He is confident that he cannot reasonably or ethically manipulate people's income level, so he decides to use a multivariate design.He is also curious as to whether there is a causal link between these two variables or if two other variables (number of arguments and life satisfaction) can explain the relationship.He measures his three variables in a sample of 124 married couples recruited from a local community center.Below are his results. Given Dr.Finkel's design, which of the following issues is his study best able to address?