Question

For each of the research scenarios depicted below (A-E), state the appropriate inferential statistical analysis. Choose analyses from the following list:

1. Within-Participants ANOVA
2. Between-Participants ANOVA
3. t Test
4. Chi Square Test of Independence
5. Spearman’s r
6. Pearson’s r

A. A research team is interested in the relationship between personality and social interaction. With a survey, an investigator records various social and personality variables of a group of participants. Among the variables, the investigator specifically evaluates the relationship between Extraversion score and number of Facebook friends (measured on continuous scales).

B. A research team is interested in the relationship between arousal and performance. An investigator administers, to 4 groups of participants, 4 doses of caffeine (0mg, 40mg, 80mg, 120mg). Afterward, the investigator measures performance on a reaction-time task, in milliseconds, where participants must hit a button as quickly as possible when a signal is given.

C. A research team is interested in the relationship between gender and aggression. An investigator observes children on the schoolyard playground. The investigator records the percentage of recess time that each child spends aggressing against classmates. The investigator then compares the girls and boys, on the percent time spent fighting.

D. A research team is interested in the relationship between high-school performance and later income. An investigator ranks 300 members of a graduating class from 1st to 300th. The investigator then ranks them by salary, from 1st to 300th, five years later. The investigator evaluates the relationship between the 2 sets of ranks.

E. A research team is interested in the relationship between development and cognition. An investigator administers an intelligence test (measured on a continuous scale) to the same set of individuals at ages 6, 10, 14, 18, and 22. The data are analyzed to see if the intelligence scores change over the 5 measures.

In your document, please use the letters to organize your answers (e.g. “A. The appropriate analysis for this study is…” etc.)

Answer 1

(A)

Correct option:

Pearson’s r

Explanation:

In this experimentation, the researcher is measuring association between two continuous variables: Extraversion score and number of Facebook friends (measured on continuous scales).. The appropriate analysis for this study is: Pearson’s r

(B)

Correct option:

Between-Participants ANOVA

Explanation:

In this experimentation, the researcher is testing the significance of difference between mean reaction times of 4 groups of participants, 4 doses of caffeine (0mg, 40mg, 80mg, 120mg). The appropriate analysis for this study is Between-Participants ANOVA

(C)

Correct option:

t Test

Explanation:

In this experimentation, the researcher is testing the significance of difference between the percent time spent fighting between the girls and boys.The appropriate analysis for this study is t Test.

(D)

Correct option:

Spearman’s r

Explanation:

In this experimentation, the researcher is measuring association between two ordinal variables: high-school performance and later income.The appropriate analysis for this study is Spearman’s r

(E)

Correct option:

Within-Participants ANOVA

Explanation:

In this experimentation, the researcher is comparing the same set of individuals at ages 6, 10, 14, 18, and 22. under different condions: The appropriate analysis for this study is Within-Participants ANOVA