Essay

Describe the hypothetical nonlinear relationship between nightly hours of sleep and depression levels. In your description, recall the specific shape the data points form on a scatterplot, the sleep duration associated with the lowest depression levels, how other sleep durations relate to depression, and why Pearson's rr is an inappropriate statistic for summarizing this relationship.

Question: Describe the hypothetical nonlinear relationship between nightly hours of sleep and depression levels. In your description, recall the specific shape the data points form on a scatterplot, the sleep duration associated with the lowest depression levels, how other sleep durations relate to depression, and why Pearson's rr is an inappropriate statistic for summarizing this relationship.

Sample answer: The relationship between nightly sleep and depression is a nonlinear relationship that forms a curved, upside-down 'U' shape on a scatterplot. Individuals who get about eight hours of sleep tend to be the least depressed. In contrast, individuals who get too little sleep or too much sleep show higher levels of depression. Pearson's rr is an inappropriate statistic for this relationship because it only measures linear patterns; here, it would be close to zero, misleadingly suggesting that there is no relationship when a strong curved relationship actually exists.

Key points:

  • The data points on a scatterplot approximate a curved, upside-down 'U' shape.
  • Individuals who get about eight hours of sleep tend to be the least depressed.
  • Individuals who get too little or too much sleep show higher levels of depression.
  • Pearson's rr would be close to zero, misleadingly suggesting there is no relationship.

Rubric: To receive full credit, the response must correctly recall: 1) the curved, upside-down 'U' shape of the data points on a scatterplot; 2) that getting about eight hours of sleep is associated with the lowest depression levels; 3) that getting too little or too much sleep is associated with higher depression levels; and 4) that Pearson's rr would be close to zero, creating a misleading impression of no relationship.

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Updated 2026-05-27

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Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU

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