Example of Restriction of Range: Age and Hip Hop Music

Which of the following best describes the statistical issue known as 'restriction of range'?

A psychologist investigates the relationship between anxiety levels and test performance but recruits only participants whose anxiety scores fall within a narrow, moderate range. If a strong negative correlation between anxiety and test performance exists in the broader population, the psychologist's restricted sample is likely to produce a weaker correlation coefficient than what would be observed using a more representative sample.

A researcher is investigating various relationships in a population. Match each study's sampling strategy with the most likely impact it will have on the measured strength of the relationship compared to the true population relationship.

An educational psychologist is studying the relationship between 'reading speed' and 'comprehension scores.' In the general population, this relationship is strong. Arrange the following research scenarios in order based on the magnitude of the correlation they would likely reveal, from the lowest (closest to zero) to the highest.

You are designing a research protocol to investigate the relationship between 'conscientiousness' (a personality trait) and 'academic success' in a university setting. To construct a study that avoids the statistical issue of restriction of range, which of the following recruitment strategies should you propose?

In psychological research, the statistical issue of restriction of range occurs when a researcher's sample includes a wider variety of scores than are present in the actual population.

Match each term related to data variability with the statement that best explains its relationship to the strength of an observed correlation.

A researcher concludes that 'intelligence does not predict job performance' based on a study of a highly selective group of NASA engineers where the correlation was only $r = .05$. To evaluate the validity of this conclusion, a critic must recognize that the results are likely misleading because the sample creates a statistical issue known as _____ of range.

A research team is examining the correlation between age and hip-hop music preference. Knowing that the general population ages span from childhood to old age, they choose to collect data only from individuals aged 18 to 24. In doing so, their study will suffer from a statistical limitation that causes the observed correlation coefficient to appear misleadingly _____ compared to the actual relationship in the population.

Evaluate the following research sampling strategies for a correlational study on the relationship between age and hip-hop music preference. Order the strategies from the one that will produce the most misleadingly weak correlation (due to the most severe restriction of range) to the one that will produce the most accurate representation of the population's correlation coefficient (least restriction of range).