CH 12: The Correlational Research Strategy

A researcher reports that there is no consistent relationship between grade point average and the number of hours spent studying for college students. Which of the following is the best description for the correlation between grade point average and the number of hours studying?

A correlation near zero

A researcher would like to examine the relationship between self-esteem and academic performance for high school students. Instead of a correlational study, what other kind of study could the researcher use?

A differential study comparing academic performance scores for a group of high self-esteem students and a group of low self-esteem students

A college professor reports that students who finish exams early tend to get better grades than students who hold on to exams until the last possible moment. The correlation between exam score and amount of time spent on the exam is an example of

A negative correlation

The results from a correlational study show a positive relationship between aggressive behavior for 6-year-old children and the amount of violence they watch on television. Based on this relationship, which of the following conclusions is justified?

Children who watch more TV violence exhibit more aggressive behavior

Because of the third-variable and directionality problems, correlational research cannot be used to determine the causes of behavior.

TRUE

Correlational research can be used for prediction, to establish validity and reliability, and to evaluate theories.

TRUE

In correlational research, researchers examine three characteristics of a relationship: the direction, the form, and the degree of consistency.

TRUE

The correlational research strategy is extremely useful as preliminary research and valuable in its own right as a source of basic knowledge.

TRUE

The correlational research strategy simply describes relationships between variables, and does not explain the relationships or determine their underlying causes.

TRUE

Which research design is commonly used to help establish the reliability or validity of a measurement procedure?

The correlational design

What is measured by the Pearson correlation?

The degree of linear relationship

A researcher reports a positive relationship between sugar consumption and activity level for a group of 8-year-old children. However, the researcher cannot be sure whether the extra sugar is causing the children to be more active or whether the extra activity is causing the children to eat more sugar. Which of the following is demonstrated by this example?

The directionality problem

Which of the following is a defining characteristic of the correlational research strategy?

The intent is to demonstrate the relationship between variables

Which of the following commonly occurs in a correlational study?

Two variables are measured

In a positive relationship, there is...

a tendency for two variables to change in the same direction; as one variable increases, the other also tends to increase

The _______________ is the squared value of a correlation and measures the percentage of variability in one variable that is determined, or predicted, by its relationship with the other variable.

coefficient of determination

In the ______________________, two or more variables are measured to obtain a set of scores (usually two scores) for each individual. The measurements are then examined to identify any patterns of relationship that exist between the variables and to measure the strength of the relationship.

correlational research strategy

When a correlational study demonstrates a relationship between two variables, it allows researchers to use knowledge about one variable to help predict or explain the second variable. In this situation, the first variable is called the ___________ and the second variable (being explained or predicted) is called the _________.

predictor variable...criterion variable

Dr. Jones hopes to demonstrate that children who eat a more nutritious breakfast tend to have more academic success than their peers. If this result is obtained, then ______________ would be the predictor variable and __________ would be the criterion variable for the study.

the nutrition in the breakfast; the level of success

A researcher uses a correlation to demonstrate that a new 5-minute test for intelligence produces scores that are strongly related to the scores from traditional IQ tests. What is the researcher attempting to demonstrate about the new 5-minute test?

validity