Exam 8: Multivariate Correlational Research

RESEARCH STUDY 8.1 Dr. Farah is an educational psychologist who is interested in studying the link between homework and academic achievement. Over the years, several researchers have found a link between the two, suggesting that doing homework is associated with higher grades. However, Dr. Farah is curious about the possible causal link between the two variables. She conducts the following study. At the beginning of the spring semester, Dr. Farah measures the number of hours her students spend doing homework during the preceding week and their fall GPA (a measure of academic achievement). At the end of the semester, Dr. Farah measures the same variables again (the hours spent doing homework the preceding week and their spring GPA). She finds the following correlations. -Refer to Research Study 8.1 above to answer the following question. For Dr.Farah to make the claim that homework causes academic achievement,which correlation does she predict will NOT be significant?

Which of the following is NOT a problem with journalists ignoring the importance of pattern and parsimony in research?

All of the following are true of betas and correlation coefficients EXCEPT:

RESEARCH STUDY 8.5 Dr. Nguyen is a psychologist who studies legal decision making. Specifically, he is curious about the factors that influence the sentences juries give to defendants that are irrelevant to the crime committed (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. -Refer to Research Study 8.5 above to answer the following question. List the predictor and dependent/criterion variables in Dr.Nguyen's study.

RESEARCH STUDY 8.1 Dr. Farah is an educational psychologist who is interested in studying the link between homework and academic achievement. Over the years, several researchers have found a link between the two, suggesting that doing homework is associated with higher grades. However, Dr. Farah is curious about the possible causal link between the two variables. She conducts the following study. At the beginning of the spring semester, Dr. Farah measures the number of hours her students spend doing homework during the preceding week and their fall GPA (a measure of academic achievement). At the end of the semester, Dr. Farah measures the same variables again (the hours spent doing homework the preceding week and their spring GPA). She finds the following correlations. -Refer to Research Study 8.1 above to answer the following question. Which of the following correlations is a cross-lag correlation?

RESEARCH STUDY 8.6 Dr. Uchida is a clinical psychologist who is curious about how people deal with natural disasters (e.g., hurricanes, tornados). His previous research suggests that there is a relationship between how much people feel that their emotional well-being was affected by the natural disaster and their likelihood of developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. However, he is curious whether the effect of emotional well-being goes through another variable, that of social support. He conducts a study in which he asks 174 men and women affected by the 2011 tsunami in Japan to report on how their well-being was affected by the tsunami, the social support felt after the storm, and the number of PTSD symptoms. Dr. Uchida 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. -Refer to Research Study 8.6 above to answer the following question. State Dr.Uchida's hypothesis and sketch a diagram of this hypothesized relationship.

According to the text,when researchers conduct longitudinal research,the type of correlation they are most interested in is which of the following?

RESEARCH STUDY 8.5 Dr. Nguyen is a psychologist who studies legal decision making. Specifically, he is curious about the factors that influence the sentences juries give to defendants that are irrelevant to the crime committed (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. -Refer to Research Study 8.5 above to answer the following question. Explain whether Dr.Nguyen is correct in thinking that extra-legal factors are more important in legal decision making than legal factors.

Name two consequences of journalists reporting on single studies rather than reporting on patterns of data.

Cross-lag correlations are important for answering/addressing which of the following rules of causation?

RESEARCH STUDY 8.1 Dr. Farah is an educational psychologist who is interested in studying the link between homework and academic achievement. Over the years, several researchers have found a link between the two, suggesting that doing homework is associated with higher grades. However, Dr. Farah is curious about the possible causal link between the two variables. She conducts the following study. At the beginning of the spring semester, Dr. Farah measures the number of hours her students spend doing homework during the preceding week and their fall GPA (a measure of academic achievement). At the end of the semester, Dr. Farah measures the same variables again (the hours spent doing homework the preceding week and their spring GPA). She finds the following correlations. -Refer to Research Study 8.1 above to answer the following question. Of the correlations listed,how many are cross-sectional correlations?

RESEARCH STUDY 8.1 Dr. Farah is an educational psychologist who is interested in studying the link between homework and academic achievement. Over the years, several researchers have found a link between the two, suggesting that doing homework is associated with higher grades. However, Dr. Farah is curious about the possible causal link between the two variables. She conducts the following study. At the beginning of the spring semester, Dr. Farah measures the number of hours her students spend doing homework during the preceding week and their fall GPA (a measure of academic achievement). At the end of the semester, Dr. Farah measures the same variables again (the hours spent doing homework the preceding week and their spring GPA). She finds the following correlations. -Refer to Research Study 8.1 above to answer the following question. Based on her pattern of correlations,which of the following can Dr.Farah safely conclude?

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

RESEARCH STUDY 8.1 Dr. Farah is an educational psychologist who is interested in studying the link between homework and academic achievement. Over the years, several researchers have found a link between the two, suggesting that doing homework is associated with higher grades. However, Dr. Farah is curious about the possible causal link between the two variables. She conducts the following study. At the beginning of the spring semester, Dr. Farah measures the number of hours her students spend doing homework during the preceding week and their fall GPA (a measure of academic achievement). At the end of the semester, Dr. Farah measures the same variables again (the hours spent doing homework the preceding week and their spring GPA). She finds the following correlations. -Refer to Research Study 8.1 above to answer the following question. A colleague of Dr.Farah's asks her why she did not simply conduct an experiment.Which of the following is a probable reason for Dr.Farah's choice not to conduct an experiment?

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?

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

RESEARCH STUDY 8.1 Dr. Farah is an educational psychologist who is interested in studying the link between homework and academic achievement. Over the years, several researchers have found a link between the two, suggesting that doing homework is associated with higher grades. However, Dr. Farah is curious about the possible causal link between the two variables. She conducts the following study. At the beginning of the spring semester, Dr. Farah measures the number of hours her students spend doing homework during the preceding week and their fall GPA (a measure of academic achievement). At the end of the semester, Dr. Farah measures the same variables again (the hours spent doing homework the preceding week and their spring GPA). She finds the following correlations. -Refer to Research Study 8.1 above to answer the following question. Correlation B is an example of which of the following types of correlations?

RESEARCH STUDY 8.3 Dr. Uchida is a clinical psychologist who is curious about how people deal with natural disasters (e.g., hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes). His previous research suggests that there is a relationship between how much people feel their emotional well-being was affected by the natural disaster and their likelihood of developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. However, he is curious as to whether the effect of emotional well-being goes through another variable, that of social support. He conducts a study in which he asks 174 men and women affected by the 2011 tsunami in Japan to report on how their well-being was affected by the tsunami, the social support felt after the storm, and the number of PTSD symptoms. Dr. Uchida 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. -Refer to Research Study 8.3 above to answer the following question. Which of the following is the mediating variable in Dr.Uchida's hypothesis?

How do multiple regression designs help rule out third variables?

RESEARCH STUDY 8.3 Dr. Uchida is a clinical psychologist who is curious about how people deal with natural disasters (e.g., hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes). His previous research suggests that there is a relationship between how much people feel their emotional well-being was affected by the natural disaster and their likelihood of developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. However, he is curious as to whether the effect of emotional well-being goes through another variable, that of social support. He conducts a study in which he asks 174 men and women affected by the 2011 tsunami in Japan to report on how their well-being was affected by the tsunami, the social support felt after the storm, and the number of PTSD symptoms. Dr. Uchida 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. -Refer to Research Study 8.3 above to answer the following question. Dr.Uchida's finding that the relationship between emotional well-being and PTSD symptoms is stronger for men than for women suggests which of the following?