In: Math
A researcher examining data on schools finds that the higher the average income of the parents whose children attend a school, the higher is the average achievement test score for all students in the school. What is the unit of analysis of these data? Can the researcher conclude from the data that the higher the income of an individual student’s parents, the better the student’s achievement test score will be? Why or why not?
(a)
The unit of analysis of these data is the students in the school.
(b)
The researcher cannot conclude from the data that the higher the income of an individual student's parents, the better the student's achievement test score will be because of the presence of Confounding Variable: Better amenities for the student's learning in the class as compared to other students whose parents are not well off. The Confounding Variable which is affecting both the variables: (i) higher the income of an individual student's parents and (ii) the better the student's achievement test score is: Better amenities for the student's learning in the class as compared to other students whose parents are not well off. Since the student's parent's income is high, the parents spend lot of money in addition to routine educational expenses, more amenities such as additional coaching in subjects where the student needs improvement, purchasing costly text books etc.