Practice Assignment 2

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Practice Assignment 2: Correlational Research

Introduction

Practice Assignment 2 is based on Units 2 and 3 and supports the research project by developing analytical skills and a greater familiarity with nonexperimental research designs.

Instructions

Visit the “In the News” page of the website of the Association for Psychological Science and identify two reports published during the last three months that describe a correlational result (be sure not to select reports of experimental studies). In each case, click on the link to the full news story (this will take you to a different website) and carefully read the story before answering the following five questions:

1. Clearly describe one correlational result reported in the news study. Your description should include the variables involved as well as the direction of the correlation.

2. Draw and clearly label a scatterplot that illustrates this correlation using 10 data points. You may wish to use the Interpreting Correlations interactive visualization to guide your drawing.

3. Did the researcher(s) consider whether a third variable might have influenced this correlation? If so, which variable did they measure?

4. How do the researchers interpret this correlation? Do they explain the correlation in a particular causal direction? Can you suggest an alternative interpretation of this correlation?

5. Consider how you might be able to address the same question using a different non-experimental research design. Your proposed study should use the same variables but should operationalize them differently. Briefly outline your proposed study.

Remember to answer all these questions also for the second study report that you have chosen.

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