Research Methods and Design I – Short Assignment #7 – CrazyCorrelations
This individual assignment is related to your Chapter 5(Salkind) material.
Below is a scatterplot between two variables – “AlcoholConsumption†and “Academic Performance.†Fill in the data table(Participant #1 through #20)! I’ll give you the academicperformance score, so just make sure to find the correspondingalcohol consumption score using the scores on the X-axis of thechart below.
Subject # | Academic Performance | Alcohol Consumption |
1 | 3.80 | 0 |
2 | 3.90 | 0 |
3 | 4.00 | 1 |
4 | 3.65 | 1 |
5 | 3.50 | 2 |
6 | 3.20 | 2 |
7 | 4.00 | 3 |
8 | 3.60 | 3 |
9 | 2.70 | 3 |
10 | 3.70 | 4 |
11 | 3.50 | 4 |
12 | 3.30 | 4 |
13 | 3.60 | 5 |
14 | 3.10 | 6 |
15 | 3.00 | 6 |
16 | 3.30 | 7 |
17 | 3.10 | 7 |
18 | 3.70 | 8 |
19 | 2.80 | 8 |
20 | 2.60 | 9 |
2). Does there appear to be a correlation between these twovariables? If yes, is it a direct correlation (positive) orindirect correlation (negative)?
3). Calculate the specific correlation coefficient for thisdata. What does r =
4). What are three possible explanations for this correlation?(Note – These can include “third variable†explanations)
5) ). Now design an experimental study to investigate these twovariables. What is your hypothesis? What type of hypotheses doesthe experimental method allow you to test that the correlationalmethod does not? (Note: You can disregard ethical limitations here!Just design an experimental study rather than a purelycorrelational study). For the study you design, what is yourindependent variable? What is your dependent variable? How did youoperationally define your variables here?
