Question

Researchers tracked 2,071 people from early childhood through adulthood and found that 13-year-olds who are frequent targets of bullies were three times more likely than their nonvictimized peers to be depressed later as adults.

What variables do the researchers measure? (Select all that apply.)

the level of bullying experienced as a 13-year-old

the number of nonvictimized peers

the level of depression as an adult

the number of 13-year-olds bullied

the ability to track people from early childhood through adulthood

Answer 1

Here, 2071 people from early childhood have been tracked. Nowhere does it mention about how they were tracked and by what means, hence the ability of tracking is not important.

We can assume that they would all have been at different ages and all of them less than 13 year olds, as 13 years does not classify as early childhood.

So when a child reaches 13 years, he may have been bullied or he may not have been bullied. So the number who have been bullied and the number who have not been bullied can be calculated.

The statement also says that the chances of bullied children of being depressed with respect to non bullied children is 3 times. This neither gives us the level of depression as adults nor the amount of bullying a child has received when he was a 13 year old.

So the variables here are 13 year olds who have been bullied and are they depressed when they are adults and 13 year olds who are not bullied and are they depressed when they are adults.

Therefore the Choices are:

Option 2: The Number of non victimized peers

Option 4: The Number of 13 year old bullied.