In: Statistics and Probability
The Kalamazoo Michigan Symphony once advertised a "Mozart for Minors" program with this statement: "Question: Which students scored 51 points higher in verbal skills and 30 points higher in math? Answer: Students who had experience in music."
a) Is the following statement true or false: Does this mean that studying music causes a student to score higher in verbal skills and math? Please explain your answer. Your answer needs to include what possible causation is possible.
b) Draw a diagram that explains your answer. (Possible diagrams are causation, common response, or confounding). Be sure to label all variables in the diagram.
a)
The question was which student scored 51 points higher in verbal and 30 points higher in math and the given answer was students who had experience in music . This doesn't mean that studying music cause a student to score higher in verbal skill and math . There may be some relation between them but it doesn't say that studying music cause the other one there may be a third factor which influence or fluctuate both of the events . This is called lurking variable. This can be quality of school or economical status anything .So this can be said as Common response.
b)
This is a type of common response with association between the music study and higher score in verbal skill and math . Let ,
X = student to score higher in verbal skills and math.
Y = student that studying music .
Z = lurking variable
So there will be association between X and Y. Then causation between Z and Y , also between Z and X.
So diagram will be ,