Based on the text, explain the conceptual difference between the psychologist computing simple percentages versus computing a correlation coefficient for her study variables. What different insights about her sample will she comprehend from each method?
Case context: A psychologist is studying adolescent sleep habits and academic focus. She collects survey data from 300 high school students about whether they use their phones in bed and how many hours of sleep they get each night. She wants to summarize this data using descriptive statistics.
Question: Based on the text, explain the conceptual difference between the psychologist computing simple percentages versus computing a correlation coefficient for her study variables. What different insights about her sample will she comprehend from each method?
Sample answer: Computing simple percentages would help the psychologist describe the proportion of adolescents in her sample who engage in a specific behavior (such as the percentage of students who use their phones in bed). In contrast, computing a correlation coefficient would allow her to comprehend the statistical relationship between two naturally occurring variables, such as the relationship between their hours of sleep and their level of academic focus.
Key points:
- Simple percentages describe the proportion of individuals engaging in a behavior or holding a belief.
- A correlation coefficient evaluates the statistical relationship between two naturally occurring variables.
- The distinction lies in describing a single rate/proportion versus analyzing the relationship between two variables.
Rubric: To receive credit, the student must demonstrate comprehension of the difference by: (1) explaining that simple percentages describe the proportion of individuals engaging in a single behavior or belief, and (2) explaining that a correlation coefficient assesses the statistical relationship between two naturally occurring variables.
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Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU
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