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Explain why a bar graph is the appropriate choice for the psychologist to display these findings, making reference to both the groups being compared and the axis conventions.
Case context: A psychologist is studying the effectiveness of three distinct therapeutic interventions (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness-Based Therapy, and Psychoanalysis) on reducing patient stress levels. After collecting the final stress score averages for each of the three treatment groups, the psychologist must select a graph style to visually summarize the findings in their research report.
Question: Explain why a bar graph is the appropriate choice for the psychologist to display these findings, making reference to both the groups being compared and the axis conventions.
Sample answer: A bar graph is the correct choice because the psychologist is presenting and comparing the mean stress scores for three distinct groups. Since the independent variable (type of therapy) is categorical, it satisfies the convention of plotting a categorical independent variable on the -axis of a bar graph.
Key points:
- Explain that therapy type is a categorical independent variable.
- Relate the categorical nature of the independent variable to its placement on the -axis.
- Explain that the goal is to compare the mean scores of these distinct groups.
Rubric: The student must explain that the independent variable (therapy type) represents categorical groups rather than continuous values, and state that a bar graph is standard for comparing the mean scores of such categorical conditions plotted on the -axis.
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Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU
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