Exam 9: Multivariate Correlational Research

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. In considering the three criteria for causation, which of the following questions will Dr. Farah's study NOT be able to address?

Dr. Finkel is a social psychologist who studies romantic relationships. Several researchers have found that there is a link between income and marital satisfaction (e.g., Dakin & Wampler, 2012). 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?

Which popular media headline might suggest that a multiple regression has been used?

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

Dr. O'Toole is a counseling psychologist who researches family dynamics. He is curious as to whether there is a causal link between the amount of time families spend together on vacation and children's happiness. More specifically, he thinks that spending more time together as a family on vacation causes children to be happier. He designs a study where he samples 63 single-child families in December 2012 and measures how many days the family spent on vacation in the past year as well as the child's happiness. He then contacts the same families in December 2016 and measures those two variables again. The results of his study are below. There are three types of correlations discussed in longitudinal designs. From Dr. O'Toole's study, provide an example of each of the following: a cross-sectional correlation, an autocorrelation, and a cross-lag correlation. Make sure you use the variable names and not just the correlation numbers (e.g., the correlation between 2012 vacation days and 2012 child happiness).

Which of the following studies is an example of a longitudinal design?

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?

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

Explain what it means that third variables are "external" to the causal variable and mediators are "internal" to the causal variable.

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?

Such topics as the link between media and aggression and smoking and lung cancer have been studied with a variety of methods and by a variety of researchers and have all reached similar conclusions. This is an example of which of the following?

Which of the following words/symbols would indicate that you are reading results from a multiple-regression analysis?

In a multiple regression design, variable is to dependent variable as variable is to independent variable.

Which of the following is true of multiple regression?

can be examined in both simple bivariate designs and longitudinal designs.

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. Correlation 5 is an example of which of the following types of correlations?

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. Correlation 1 is an example of which of the following types of correlations?

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?

Adding several variables to a regression analysis can help do which of the following?

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?