Chapter 13: Correlation

Test Bank

Multiple Choice

1. You calculate the correlation coefficient between two variables when the ______ is ______.

a. independent variable; categorical

b. number of groups; greater than two

c. dependent variable; categorical

d. independent variable; continuous

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Introduction to the Pearson Correlation Coefficient (r)

Difficulty Level: Easy

2. You calculate a correlation coefficient (rather than a t-test or F-ratio) when the independent variable is ______ and the dependent variable is ______.

a. categorical; categorical

b. categorical; continuous

c. continuous; categorical

d. continuous; continuous

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Introduction to the Pearson Correlation Coefficient (r)

Difficulty Level: Easy

3. You would calculate a correlation coefficient (rather than t-test or F-ratio) when the independent variable is ______ (measured at the ______ level of measurement).

a. categorical; ordinal

b. continuous; ratio

c. continuous; nominal

d. categorical; interval

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Introduction to the Pearson Correlation Coefficient (r)

Difficulty Level: Easy

4. You would calculate a correlation coefficient (rather than t-test or F-ratio) when the independent variable is ______ (for example, measured at the ______ level of measurement).

a. categorical; ratio

b. categorical; interval

c. continuous; nominal

d. continuous; interval

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Introduction to the Pearson Correlation Coefficient (r)

Difficulty Level: Easy

5. You calculate a correlation coefficient (rather than a t-test for F-ratio) when ______.

a. the independent variable is categorical

b. the independent variable consists of more than two levels/groups

c. the dependent variable is categorical

d. the independent variable is continuous

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Introduction to the Pearson Correlation Coefficient (r)

Difficulty Level: Medium

6. You calculate a correlation coefficient (rather than a t-test or F-ratio) when ______.

a. you are interested in comparing group means

b. the independent and dependent variables are both categorical

c. the independent and dependent variables are both continuous

d. the independent variable is categorical and the dependent variables is continuous

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Introduction to the Pearson Correlation Coefficient (r)

Difficulty Level: Medium

7. For which of these research situations would you most likely calculate a correlation coefficient?

a. independent variable = gender; dependent variable = salary

b. independent variable = number of cars owned; dependent variable = money spent on gasoline per week

c. independent variable = city of residence; dependent variable = miles driven per week

d. independent variable = political affiliation; dependent variable = college major

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Introduction to the Pearson Correlation Coefficient (r)

Difficulty Level: Hard

8. For which of these research situations would you MOST likely calculate a correlation coefficient?

a. independent variable = type of car owned; dependent variable = money spent on gasoline per week

b. independent variable = age; dependent variable = reaction time in milliseconds

c. independent variable = city of residence; dependent variable = miles driven per week

d. independent variable = college major; dependent variable = type of car owned

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Introduction to the Pearson Correlation Coefficient (r)

Difficulty Level: Hard

9. For which of these research situations would you MOST likely calculate a correlation coefficient?

a. independent variable = blood type; dependent variable = political affiliation

b. independent variable = height; dependent variable = salary

c. independent variable = ethnicity; dependent variable = favorite food

d. independent variable = gender; dependent variable = type of car owned

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Introduction to the Pearson Correlation Coefficient (r)

Difficulty Level: Hard

10. For which of these research situations would you most likely calculate a correlation coefficient?

a. independent variable = blood alcohol level; dependent variable = reaction time

b. independent variable = type of car owned; dependent variable = annual income

c. independent variable = gender; dependent variable = favorite type of music

d. independent variable = city of residence; dependent variable = political affiliation

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Introduction to the Pearson Correlation Coefficient (r)

Difficulty Level: Hard

11. For which of these research situations would you most likely calculate a correlation coefficient?

a. independent variable = college major; dependent variable = income

b. independent variable = astrological sign; dependent variable = personality

c. independent variable = age; dependent variable = number of TV sets owned

d. independent variable = area code; dependent variable = money spent on gasoline per week

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Introduction to the Pearson Correlation Coefficient (r)

Difficulty Level: Hard

12. For which of these research situations would you most likely calculate a correlation coefficient?

a. IV = political affiliation; DV = type of automobile owned

b. IV = favorite type of fast food; DV = weight

c. IV = number of children in family; DV = money spent on food per week

d. IV = annual income; DV = gender

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Introduction to the Pearson Correlation Coefficient (r)

Difficulty Level: Hard

13. For which of these research situations would you MOST likely calculate a correlation coefficient?

a. IV = city of residence; DV = annual salary

b. IV = ethnicity; DV = political affiliation

c. IV = number of siblings; DV = age at marriage

d. IV = age; DV = type of car owned

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Introduction to the Pearson Correlation Coefficient (r)

Difficulty Level: Hard

14. For which of these research situations would you MOST likely calculate a correlation coefficient?

a. IV = self-esteem; DV = type of automobile owned

b. IV = number of friends; DV = hours a day spent on the Internet

c. IV = favorite type of movie; DV = favorite flavor of ice cream

d. IV = age at marriage; DV = current marital status (single, married, etc.)

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Introduction to the Pearson Correlation Coefficient (r)

Difficulty Level: Medium

15. Which of these is the MAIN reason for creating a scatterplot between two variables?

a. to determine whether the relationship is statistically significant

b. to determine whether you need to collect more data

c. to determine if the relationship is linear

d. to determine the strength (+/-) of the correlation

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Nature of the Relationship

Difficulty Level: Medium

16. For which of these reasons would you create a scatterplot between two variables?

a. to determine whether the relationship is linear

b. to decide if the relationship is statistically significant

c. to prove your research hypotheses

d. to determine if the alternative hypothesis should be one-tailed or two-tailed

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Nature of the Relationship

Difficulty Level: Medium

17. For which of these reasons would you create a scatterplot between two variables?

a. to see if the group means are the same

b. to see if the variables are categorical or continuous

c. to calculate the degrees of freedom

d. to get a sense of the strength of the relationship

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Strength of the Relationship

Difficulty Level: Medium

18. For which of these reasons would you create a scatterplot between two variables?

a. to see if the relationship is positive or negative

b. to determine the level of significance

c. to get an initial sense of whether or not the means of the groups are different from each other

d. to determine if the relationship is bidirectional

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Direction of the Relationship

Difficulty Level: Medium

19. Which of these is NOT one of the three aspects or dimensions of the relationship between variables discussed in class?

a. strength

b. direction

c. causality

d. nature

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Describing the Relationship between Variables

Difficulty Level: Medium

20. Which of these is NOT one of the three aspects of the relationship between variables discussed in class?

a. direction

b. predictability

c. strength

d. nature

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Describing the Relationship between Variables

Difficulty Level: Medium

21. In examining the relationship between variables, the question “How well can I predict one variable from another?” pertains primarily to the ______ of the relationship.

a. direction

b. nature

c. strength

d. variability

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Strength of the Relationship

Difficulty Level: Hard

22. In examining the relationship between variables, the question “Should I portray the relationship between variables with a line or a curve?” pertains PRIMARILY to the ______ of the relationship.

a. direction

b. nature

c. strength

d. negativity

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Nature of the Relationship

Difficulty Level: Hard

23. Which of these is NOT one of the three aspects of the relationship between variables discussed in Chapter 12?

a. reciprocity

b. direction

c. strength

d. nature

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Describing the Relationship between Variables

Difficulty Level: Easy

24. Which of these is NOT one of the three aspects of the relationship between variables discussed in Chapter 12?

a. inferential

b. direction

c. strength

d. nature

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Describing the Relationship between Variables

Difficulty Level: Easy

25. You believe the farther you sit from an instructor, the less likely he or she will call on you. This is an example of a ______ relationship.

a. negative

b. positive

c. skewed

d. nonlinear

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Direction of the Relationship

Difficulty Level: Hard

26. You believe that the longer students take to complete their education, the less they enjoy their time in college. This is an example of a ______ relationship.

a. linear

b. nonlinear

c. positive

d. negative

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Direction of the Relationship

Difficulty Level: Medium

27. A recent study found that the older the college student, the fewer the number of pages of assigned readings the student reads. The relationship between age of student and amount of reading may be described as ______.

a. curvilinear

b. positive

c. skewed

d. negative

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Direction of the Relationship

Difficulty Level: Hard

28. The Yerkes-Dodson law describes the relationship between one’s level of arousal and task performance. According to this law, performance is better at a moderate level of arousal than at either a low or high level of arousal. This is an example of a ______ relationship.

a. positive

b. negative

c. linear

d. nonlinear

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Nature of the Relationship

Difficulty Level: Hard

29. You believe faculty members call on students sitting in the middle of their classes more often than students sitting either in the front of the class or the back of the class. This is an example of a ______ relationship.

a. positive

b. negative

c. linear

d. nonlinear

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Nature of the Relationship

Difficulty Level: Hard

30. You believe students are less attentive in class when they either get too little or too much sleep as opposed to their average amount of sleep. This is an example of a ______ relationship.

a. positive

b. linear

c. negative

d. nonlinear

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Nature of the Relationship

Difficulty Level: Hard

31. Goldilocks decides the porridge that is “just right” is neither too cold nor too hot. The relationship between porridge temperature and Goldilock’s preferences may be described as ______.

a. nonlinear

b. zero

c. skewed

d. negative

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Nature of the Relationship

Difficulty Level: Hard

32. In calculating a Pearson correlation between two variables, you would examine the ______ to determine whether the relationship between the two variables is linear.

a. value of the correlation

b. level of significance of the correlation

c. scatterplot

d. descriptive statistics

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Nature of the Relationship

Difficulty Level: Easy

33. The ______ of a Pearson correlation coefficient (r) indicates the ______ of the relationship.

a. value; strength

b. value; direction

c. sign; strength

d. sign; nature (linear or nonlinear)

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Strength of the Relationship

Difficulty Level: Medium

34. You would look at the ______ of a Pearson correlation coefficient (r) to assess the ______ of the relationship between two variables.

a. sign (+/-); statistical significance

b. value; direction

c. value; strength

d. statistical significance; direction

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Strength of the Relationship

Difficulty Level: Medium

35. The ______ of a Pearson correlation (r) assesses the ______ of the relationship between two variables

a. linearity; predictability

b. probability; direction

c. numeric value; strength

d. sign (+/-); strength

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Strength of the Relationship

Difficulty Level: Medium

36. The ______ of a Pearson correlation coefficient (r) indicates the ______ of the relationship.

a. sign (+/-); statistical significance

b. value; direction

c. sign (+/-); direction

d. range; nature (linear or nonlinear)

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Direction of the Relationship

Difficulty Level: Medium

37. The ______ of a Pearson correlation coefficient (r) assesses the ______ of the relationship between two variables

a. numeric value; direction

b. level of significance; causality

c. sign (+/-); direction

d. sign (+/-); linearity

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Direction of the Relationship

Difficulty Level: Medium

38. The Pearson correlation coefficient (r) assumes the relationship between two variables is ______.

a. linear

b. significant

c. normal

d. skewed

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Introduction to the Pearson Correlation Coefficient (r)

Difficulty Level: Easy

39. The Pearson correlation coefficient (r) measures the ______ relationship between two variables.

a. directional

b. positive

c. two-tailed

d. linear

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Introduction to the Pearson Correlation Coefficient (r)

Difficulty Level: Easy

40. The Pearson correlation coefficient (r) assumes the relationship between two variables ______.

a. is one-tailed (directional)

b. is statistically significant

c. goes on to infinity in both directions

d. may be represented by a straight line

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Introduction to the Pearson Correlation Coefficient (r)

Difficulty Level: Medium

41. Which of these statistics BEST describes the relationship in this scatterplot?

a. r = 1.00

b. r = .40

c. r = –.40

d. r = .00

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Measuring the Relationship between Variables: Correlational Statistics

Difficulty Level: Hard

42. Which of these statistics best describes the relationship in this scatterplot?

a. r = 1.00

b. r = .65

c. r = –.40

d. r = .00

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Measuring the Relationship between Variables: Correlational Statistics

Difficulty Level: Hard

43. Which of these statistics BEST describes the relationship in this scatterplot?

a. r = .00

b. r = .50

c. r = –.50

d. r = 1.00

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Measuring the Relationship between Variables: Correlational Statistics

Difficulty Level: Hard

44. Which of these statistics best describes the relationship in this scatterplot?

a. r = .00

b. r = .40

c. r = –1.00

d. r = –.50

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Measuring the Relationship between Variables: Correlational Statistics

Difficulty Level: Hard

45. Which of these statistics BEST describes the relationship in this scatterplot?

a. r = –1.00

b. r = .10

c. r = .50

d. r = –.45

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Measuring the Relationship between Variables: Correlational Statistics

Difficulty Level: Hard

46. Which of these statistics BEST describes the relationship in this scatterplot?

a. r = .00

b. r = .50

c. r = –.50

d. r = 1.00

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Measuring the Relationship between Variables: Correlational Statistics

Difficulty Level: Hard

47. Which of these statistics BEST describes the relationship in this scatterplot?

a. r = .50

b. r = –.50

c. r = –1.00

d. r = .00

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Measuring the Relationship between Variables: Correlational Statistics

Difficulty Level: Hard

48. Which of these statistics BEST describes the relationship in this scatterplot?

a. r = –1.00

b. r = .05

c. r = –.50

d. r = .45

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Measuring the Relationship between Variables: Correlational Statistics

Difficulty Level: Hard

49. An instructor finds the more often students ask for help in office hour visits, the greater the improvement in their performance across the semester. Which of the following correlations BEST reflects this relationship between asking for help and course performance?

a. r = –1.00

b. r = .05

c. r = –.50

d. r = .45

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Measuring the Relationship between Variables: Correlational Statistics

Difficulty Level: Medium

50. A recent study found that the more elementary students are involved in after-school activities, the less likely they are to get involved with gangs. Which of the following correlations reflects this relationship?

a. r = 1.00

b. r = .50

c. r = –.40

d. r = .00

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Measuring the Relationship between Variables: Correlational Statistics

Difficulty Level: Hard

51. A recent study found that the more money schools are given to provide after-school activities, the less likely their students are to get involved with illegal activities. Which of the following correlations reflects this relationship?

a. r = .75

b. r = .30

c. r = –.35

d. r = .00

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Measuring the Relationship between Variables: Correlational Statistics

Difficulty Level: Hard

52. An instructor finds that, in general, the more other instructors use Powerpoint presentations and web sites, the less often students attend class. Which of the following correlations reflects this relationship?

a. r = .50

b. r = –.50

c. r = 1.00

d. r = –1.00

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Measuring the Relationship between Variables: Correlational Statistics

Difficulty Level: Hard

53. An instructor finds that, in general, the more time students spend on laptop computers during class, the less often students take notes. Which of the following correlations reflects this relationship?

a. r = .50

b. r = –.50

c. r = 1.00

d. r = –1.00

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Measuring the Relationship between Variables: Correlational Statistics

Difficulty Level: Hard

54. A researcher finds that the more hours students spend studying, the fewer mistakes they make on their assignments. Which of these statistics BEST describes this relationship?

a. r = 1.00

b. r = .50

c. r = –.50

d. r = .00

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Measuring the Relationship between Variables: Correlational Statistics

Difficulty Level: Hard

55. A survey of Psychology majors finds that the more “real world” experience students gained, the less likely they were to go to graduate school. Which of the following correlations reflects this relationship?

a. r = 1.00

b. r = .50

c. r = –.40

d. r = .00

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Measuring the Relationship between Variables: Correlational Statistics

Difficulty Level: Hard

56. An instructor finds she is completely unable to predict student’s performance in her class from her initial impression of them. Which of the following correlations BEST reflects the relationship between her impressions and their performance?

a. r = –1.00

b. r = .00

c. r = .40

d. r = –.50

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Measuring the Relationship between Variables: Correlational Statistics

Difficulty Level: Hard

57. A correlation of ______ is BEST represented by ______.

a. .00; an ellipse (football-shape)

b. 1.00; a circle

c. .00; a line

d. 1.00; a line

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Strength of the Relationship

Difficulty Level: Medium

58. A Pearson correlation of ______ is BEST represented by ______.

a. .50; an ellipse (football shape)

b. 1.00; a curve

c. .00; a line

d. -1.00; an ellipse (football shape)

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Strength of the Relationship

Difficulty Level: Medium

59. A correlation of ______ is BEST represented by ______.

a. .00; an ellipse (football shape)

b. 1.00; an ellipse (football shape)

c. .00; a circle

d. 1.00; a circle

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Strength of the Relationship

Difficulty Level: Medium

60. A Pearson correlation of ______ is BEST represented by ______.

a. .50; a line

b. 1.00; a circle

c. .00; a circle

d. -1.00; an ellipse (football shape)

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Strength of the Relationship

Difficulty Level: Medium

61. A Pearson correlation of .00 is BEST represented by ______.

a. a normal curve

b. a skewed distribution

c. a circle

d. an ellipse (football shape)

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Strength of the Relationship

Difficulty Level: Easy

62. Gavin calculates a value of –.10 for a Pearson correlation. You would BEST describe this relationship as ______.

a. weak positive

b. weak negative

c. strong positive

d. strong negative

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Strength of the Relationship

Difficulty Level: Hard

63. A researcher calculates a value of –.90 for a Pearson correlation. You would BEST describe this relationship as ______.

a. weak positive

b. weak negative

c. strong positive

d. strong negative

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Strength of the Relationship

Difficulty Level: Hard

64. A researcher calculates a value of .85 for a Pearson correlation. You would BEST describe this relationship as ______.

a. weak positive

b. weak negative

c. strong positive

d. strong negative

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Strength of the Relationship

Difficulty Level: Hard

65. A researcher calculates a value of .15 for a Pearson correlation. You would BEST describe this relationship as ______.

a. weak positive

b. weak negative

c. strong positive

d. strong negative

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Strength of the Relationship

Difficulty Level: Hard

66. Which of the following statements best illustrates the concept of covariance?

a. “Scores on the two variables are normally distributed.”

b. “People with above average incomes also spend more than the average person.”

c. “The variance of X is equal to the variance of Y.”

d. “The null hypothesis was rejected.”

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Calculating Correlational Statistics: The Role of Variance and Covariance

Difficulty Level: Medium

67. Which of the following statements best illustrates the concept of covariance?

a. “The means of the groups are not all equal to each other.”

b. “People of above average intelligence vote more often than the average person.”

c. “Not everyone is the same.”

d. “The relationship is nonlinear.”

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Calculating Correlational Statistics: The Role of Variance and Covariance

Difficulty Level: Hard

68. Which of the following statements best illustrates the concept of covariance?

a. “The population means are not all equal to each other.”

b. “Students who score below the class mean on the midterm also score below the mean on the final exam.”

c. “Not everyone is the same.”

d. “People who differ in intelligence also differ in their personalities.”

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Calculating Correlational Statistics: The Role of Variance and Covariance

Difficulty Level: Hard

69. Which of the following statements best illustrates the concept of covariance?

a. “The population means are not all equal to each other.”

b. “There is no relationship between one’s income and one’s intelligence.”

c. “The distribution is normal.”

d. “People with below-average incomes spend more on the lottery than the average person.”

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Calculating Correlational Statistics: The Role of Variance and Covariance

Difficulty Level: Hard

70. Which of the following statements BEST illustrates the concept of covariance?

a. “People with above-average intelligence vote more often than the average voter.”

b. “The decision was made to reject the null hypothesis.”

c. “The sample mean is significantly different from the population mean.”

d. “Men are smarter than women.”

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Calculating Correlational Statistics: The Role of Variance and Covariance

Difficulty Level: Hard

71. Which of the following statements best illustrates the concept of covariance?

a. “People with above-average intelligence spend more on books.”

b. “The population means are all equal to each other.”

c. “The results of the analysis support the research hypothesis.”

d. “There is no relationship between race and IQ scores.”

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Calculating Correlational Statistics: The Role of Variance and Covariance

Difficulty Level: Hard

72. Which of the following statements BEST illustrates the concept of covariance?

a. “The two sample mean are significantly different from each other.”

b. “The decision was made to not reject the null hypothesis.”

c. “People with above-average incomes own more TVs than the average consumer.”

d. “There is no relationship between money and happiness.”

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Calculating Correlational Statistics: The Role of Variance and Covariance

Difficulty Level: Hard

73. A researcher hypothesizes college grade point average is correlated with graduate school grade point average. In conducting an analysis to test this hypothesis, how should the null hypothesis (H₀) be stated?

a. H₀: all μs are equal

b. H₀: ρ = 0

c. H₀: college = grad school

d. H₀: not all μs are equal

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: State the Null and Alternative Hypotheses (H₀ and H₁)

Difficulty Level: Hard

74. A researcher hypothesizes a positive relationship between drivers’ use of cell phones and road rage incidents. How should the null hypothesis (H₀) be stated?

a. H₀: all μs are equal

b. H₀: ρ = 0

c. H₀: μCell phone = μRoad rage

d. H₀: μ = 0

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: State the Null and Alternative Hypotheses (H₀ and H₁)

Difficulty Level: Hard

75. In calculating the Pearson correlation (r), the ______ hypothesis implies ______.

a. null; there is no relationship

b. alternative; the sample mean is different from the hypothesized population mean

c. null; the means are not all equal to each other

d. alternative; the relationship is not linear

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: State the Null and Alternative Hypotheses (H₀ and H₁)

Difficulty Level: Medium

76. In calculating the Pearson correlation (r), the ______ hypothesis implies ______.

a. null; the hypothesized population mean

b. null; the two variables are unrelated to each other

c. alternative; the means are not all equal

d. alternative; there is no relationship

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: State the Null and Alternative Hypotheses (H₀ and H₁)

Difficulty Level: Medium

77. In calculating the Pearson correlation (r), the ______ hypothesis implies ______.

a. null; the relationship is not linear

b. alternative; the two population means are not equal

c. null; the means are all equal to each other

d. alternative; there is a relationship

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: State the Null and Alternative Hypotheses (H₀ and H₁)

Difficulty Level: Medium

78. In testing the Pearson correlation (r), the ______ hypothesis states ______.

a. alternative; there is a relationship between two variables

b. alternative; two variables are uncorrelated with each other

c. null; the means are all equal to each other

d. null; two variables are correlated with each other

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: State the Null and Alternative Hypotheses (H₀ and H₁)

Difficulty Level: Medium

79. A researcher wishing to correlate two variables collects data from 40 people. In this analysis, the degrees of freedom is equal to ______.

a. 79

b. 78

c. 39

d. 38

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Calculate the Degrees of Freedom (df)

Difficulty Level: Hard

80. A researcher wishing to correlate two variables collects data from 30 people. In this analysis, the degrees of freedom is equal to ______.

a. 28

b. 29

c. 68

d. 69

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Calculate the Degrees of Freedom (df)

Difficulty Level: Hard

81. A researcher wishing to correlate two variables collects data from 50 people. In this analysis, the degrees of freedom is equal to ______.

a. 50

b. 49

c. 48

d. 47

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Calculate the Degrees of Freedom (df)

Difficulty Level: Hard

82. A researcher wishing to correlate two variables collects data from 26 people. For  = .05 (two-tailed), the critical values would be ______.

a. ± .388

b. ± .381

c. ± .374

d. ± .330

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Set Alpha (), Identify the Critical Values, and State a Decision Rule

Difficulty Level: Hard

83. A researcher wishing to correlate two variables collects data from 17 people. For  = .05 (two-tailed), the critical values would be ______.

a. ± .482

b. ± .468

c. ± .456

d. ± .412

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Set Alpha (), Identify the Critical Values, and State a Decision Rule

Difficulty Level: Hard

84. A researcher wishing to correlate two variables collects data from 21 people. For  = .05 (two-tailed), the critical values would be ______.

a. ± .433

b. ± .423

c. ± .413

d. ± .369

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Set Alpha (), Identify the Critical Values, and State a Decision Rule

Difficulty Level: Hard

85. A researcher wishing to correlate two variables collects data from 30 people. For  = .05 (two-tailed), the critical values would be ______.

a. ± .361

b. ± .355

c. ± .349

d. ± .306

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Set Alpha (), Identify the Critical Values, and State a Decision Rule

Difficulty Level: Hard

86. A researcher wishing to correlate two variables collects data from 125 people. For  = .05 (two-tailed), the critical values would be ______.

a. ± .159

b. ± .195

c. ± .134

d. ± .164

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Set Alpha (), Identify the Critical Values, and State a Decision Rule

Difficulty Level: Hard

87. A researcher wishing to correlate two variables collects data from 500 people. For  = .05 (two-tailed), the critical values would be ______.

a. ± .178

b. ± .150

c. ± .073

d. ± .087

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Set Alpha (), Identify the Critical Values, and State a Decision Rule

Difficulty Level: Hard

88. In calculating the Pearson correlation (r), which of the following can be a negative number?

a. ΣX²

b. ΣY²

c. SS_X

d. SP_XY

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Represent the Covariance between X and Y: SP_XY

Difficulty Level: Medium

89. In calculating the Pearson correlation coefficient, both ______ and ______ can be negative numbers.

a. SP_XY; r

b. ΣX²; ,ΣY²

c. SS_X; SS_Y

d. SS_X; r

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Represent the Covariance between X and Y: SP_XY

Difficulty Level: Medium

90. Calculating the Pearson correlation (r) involves calculating SS_X, SS_Y, SP_XY, and r. How many of these four things can be a negative number?

a. 0

b. 1

c. 2

d. 3

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Calculate a Statistic: Pearson Correlation Coefficient (r)

Difficulty Level: Medium

91. Calculating and testing the Pearson correlation involves calculating nine things: ΣX², (ΣX)², ΣY², (ΣY)², SS_X, SS_Y, SP_XY, r, and the critical values. How many of these nine things can be a negative number?

a. 0

b. 1

c. 2

d. 3

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Calculate a Statistic: Pearson Correlation Coefficient (r)

Difficulty Level: Medium

92. Calculating the Pearson correlation involves calculating eight things: ΣX², (ΣX)², ΣY², (ΣY)², SS_X, SS_Y, SP_XY, and r. How many of these eight things can be a negative number?

a. 1

b. 2

c. 3

d. 4 or more

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Calculate a Statistic: Pearson Correlation Coefficient (r)

Difficulty Level: Medium

93. Arnold calculates a Pearson correlation and obtains a value of –1.07. By definition, this implies ______.

a. the distribution of scores for the variables are negatively skewed

b. there is a negative relationship between the two variables

c. he will not reject the null hypothesis

d. he has made a mistake in his calculations

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Calculate a Statistic: Pearson Correlation Coefficient (r)

Difficulty Level: Medium

94. A researcher collects data from 18 people and calculates a Pearson correlation of r = -.42. Assuming  = .05 (two-tailed), the researcher would make the decision to ______.

a. reject the null hypothesis (p < .05)

b. reject the null hypothesis (p < .01)

c. not reject the null hypothesis (p > .05)

d. not reject the null hypothesis (p < .05)

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Make a Decision whether to Reject the Null Hypothesis

Difficulty Level: Medium

95. A researcher collects data from 12 people and calculates a Pearson correlation of r = .55. Assuming  = .05 (two-tailed), the researcher would make the decision to ______.

a. reject the null hypothesis (p < .05)

b. reject the null hypothesis (p < .01)

c. not reject the null hypothesis (p > .05)

d. not reject the null hypothesis (p < .05)

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Make a Decision whether to Reject the Null Hypothesis

Difficulty Level: Medium

96. A researcher collects data from 13 people and calculates a Pearson correlation of r = .57. Assuming  = .05 (two-tailed), the researcher would make the decision to ______.

a. reject the null hypothesis (p < .05)

b. reject the null hypothesis (p < .01)

c. not reject the null hypothesis (p > .05)

d. not reject the null hypothesis (p < .05)

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Make a Decision whether to Reject the Null Hypothesis

Difficulty Level: Medium

97. A researcher collects data from 20 people and calculates a Pearson correlation of r = .72. Assuming  = .05 (two-tailed), the researcher would make the decision to ______.

a. reject the null hypothesis (p < .05)

b. reject the null hypothesis (p < .01)

c. not reject the null hypothesis (p > .05)

d. not reject the null hypothesis (p < .05)

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Make a Decision whether to Reject the Null Hypothesis

Difficulty Level: Medium

98. A researcher collects data from 90 people and calculates a Pearson correlation of r = .23. Assuming  = .05 (two-tailed), the researcher would make the decision to ______.

a. reject the null hypothesis (p < .05)

b. reject the null hypothesis (p < .01)

c. not reject the null hypothesis (p > .05)

d. not reject the null hypothesis (p < .05)

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Make a Decision whether to Reject the Null Hypothesis

Difficulty Level: Medium

99. A researcher collects data from 25 people and calculates a Pearson correlation of r = .38. Assuming  = .05 (two-tailed), the researcher would make the decision to ______.

a. reject the null hypothesis (p < .05)

b. reject the null hypothesis (p < .01)

c. not reject the null hypothesis (p > .05)

d. not reject the null hypothesis (p < .05)

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Make a Decision whether to Reject the Null Hypothesis

Difficulty Level: Medium

100. A researcher calculates a correlation of .49 for a sample of 18 people. Assuming H₁ is non-directional, which of the following is the correct way to present this analysis?

a. r(16) = .49, p > .05

b. r(17) = .49, p > .01

c. r(18) = .49, p < .01

d. r(16) = .49, p < .05

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Draw a Conclusion from the Analysis

Difficulty Level: Hard

101. A researcher calculates a correlation of .44 between age and income for 15 people. For α = .05 (two-tailed), which of the following is the correct way to present this analysis?

a. r(13) = .44, p < .05

b. r(13) = .44, p > .05

c. r(14) = .44, p < .05

d. r(15) = .44, p < .05

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Draw a Conclusion from the Analysis

Difficulty Level: Hard

102. A researcher calculates a correlation of .43 between age and income for 17 people. Which of the following is the correct way to present this analysis?

a. r(15) = .43, p > .05

b. r(16) = .43, p > .01

c. r(16) = .43, p < .05

d. r(17) = .43, p < .05

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Draw a Conclusion from the Analysis

Difficulty Level: Hard

103. A researcher calculates a correlation of .52 for a sample of 13 people. Which of the following is the correct way to present this analysis?

a. r(13) = .52, p < .05

b. r(11) = .52, p > .05

c. r(12) = .52, p > .01

d. r(13) = .52, p < .01

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Draw a Conclusion from the Analysis

Difficulty Level: Hard

104. A researcher calculates a correlation of .42 for a sample of 16 people. Assuming H₁ is non-directional, which of the following is the correct way to present this analysis?

a. r(14) = .42, p > .05

b. r(15) = .42, p > .01

c. r(15) = .42, p < .05

d. r(14) = .42, p < .05

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Draw a Conclusion from the Analysis

Difficulty Level: Hard

105. A researcher calculates a correlation of .39 for a sample of 24 people. Assuming H₁ is two-tailed, which of the following is the correct way to present this analysis?

a. r(24) = .39, p < .05

b. r(23) = .39, p < .05

c. r(22) = .39, p < .05

d. r(22) = .39, p > .05

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Draw a Conclusion from the Analysis

Difficulty Level: Hard

106. A researcher calculates a correlation of –.52 for a sample of 14 people. Assuming H₁ is two-tailed, which of the following is the correct way to present this analysis?

a. r(14) = -.52, p < .05

b. r(13) = -.52, p > .05

c. r(13) = -.52, p < .05

d. r(12) = -.52, p > .05

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Draw a Conclusion from the Analysis

Difficulty Level: Hard

107. A researcher hypothesizes a positive relationship between using cell phones and walking into telephone poles. If she reports “r(30) = .38, p < .05”, her research hypothesis has ______ because the null hypothesis was ______.

a. been supported; rejected

b. been supported; not rejected

c. not been supported; not rejected

d. not been supported; rejected

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Make a Decision whether to Reject the Null Hypothesis

Difficulty Level: Medium

108. An instructor hypothesizes an inverse relationship between using laptop computers in class and paying attention in class. Which of the following supports her research hypothesis?

a. r(30) = .38, p < .05

b. r(30) = .28, p > .05

c. r(30) = –.38, p < .05

d. r(30) = –.28, p > .05

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Make a Decision whether to Reject the Null Hypothesis

Difficulty Level: Medium

109. A teacher believes that the farther a student sits from the front of the classroom, the less likely he or she is to ask questions during class. Which of the following findings would support her research hypothesis?

a. r(40) = .15, p > .05

b. r(40) = –.17, p > .05

c. r(40) = –.37, p < .05

d. r(40) = .48, p < .01

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Make a Decision whether to Reject the Null Hypothesis

Difficulty Level: Medium

110. The Spearman rank-order correlation is used with variables measured at the ______ level of measurement.

a. nominal

b. ordinal

c. interval

d. ratio

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Correlating Two Sets of Ranks: The Spearman Rank-Order Correlation

Difficulty Level: Easy

111. The ______ statistical procedure is used to measure the relationship between ordinal variables.

a. Pearson correlation (r)

b. linear regression

c. Spearman rank-order correlation

d. t-test

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Correlating Two Sets of Ranks: The Spearman Rank-Order Correlation

Difficulty Level: Easy

112. Two movie critics wish to see if they have similar opinions regarding movies. They independently rank-order eight movies from 1 (most favorite) to 8 (least favorite). Assuming α = .05 (two-tailed), which of the following analyses would lead to the conclusion that they significantly agree with each other?

a. r = .57

b. r = .59

c. r = .63

d. r = .65

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Draw a Conclusion from the Analysis

Difficulty Level: Hard

113. Two restaurant reviewers wish to see if they have similar opinions regarding restaurants. They independently rank-order eight restaurants from 1 (best) to 8 (worst). Calculating a Spearman rank-order correlation, they find the following result: r(6) = .47, p > .05. Based on the result of this analysis, which of the following conclusions would be drawn?

a. The two reviewers have significantly similar opinions of restaurants.

b. The two reviewers have significantly different opinions of restaurants.

c. There is no relationship between the two reviewers’ opinions of restaurants.

d. The two reviewers have opposite opinions of restaurants.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Draw a Conclusion from the Analysis

Difficulty Level: Hard

114. ______ refers to the method of conducting research that examines the relationship between variables without the ability to infer cause-effect relationships.

a. Correlational statistics

b. Correlational data

c. Correlational research

d. Inferential statistics

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Correlational Statistics vs. Correlational Research

Difficulty Level: Easy

115. The difference between correlational statistics and correlational research is that ______.

a. correlational research allows the researcher to infer the cause-effect relationship

b. correlational research refers to the way data is analyzed

c. correlational statistics refers to the way the data is collected

d. correlational statistics refers to the way the data is analyzed

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Correlational Statistics vs. Correlational Research

Difficulty Level: Medium

True/False

1. A positive relationship is one in which increases and decreases in one variable are associated with increases and decreases in another variable.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Direction of Relationship

Difficulty Level: Easy

2. The Pearson correlation coefficient is represented by the symbol p.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Introduction to the Pearson Correlation Coefficient (r)

Difficulty Level: Easy

3. A value of the Pearson correlation coefficient that falls between .10 and .30 is considered a weak relationship.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Introduction to the Pearson Correlation Coefficient (r)

Difficulty Level: Medium

4. The Spearman rank-order correlation measures the relationship between two variables at the nominal level.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Inferential Statistics: The Spearman Rank-Order Correlation Coefficient

Difficulty Level: Easy

5. The choice of statistical procedure in a research setting is primarily a function of how variables are measured.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: “Correlation Is Not Causality” – What Does That Mean?

Difficulty Level: Medium