Assignment:
Question 1. Sample vs. Population: The health study of North Trondelang County of Norway (HUNT) surveyed more than 60,000 people in a Norwegian county and reported that 'people who have gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nauseas, are more likely to have anxiety disorders or depression than people who do not have such symptoms.'
a) What is the sample used by these researchers?
b) What is the population to which the researchers would like to extend their findings?
Question 2. Discrete vs. continuous interval variables: For each of the following examples, state whether the interval is discrete or continuous.
a) The capacity, in terms of songs, of an iPod
b) The playing time of an individual song
c) The cost in cent to download a song legally
d) The number of posted reviews that CD has on Amazon.com
e) The weight of an MP3 player
Question 3. Identifying independent variables: For each of the hypotheses listed in Exercise 1.9, identify the independent variable and the most likely levels of that independent variable
a) Teenagers are better at video games than are adults in their 30's
b) Spanking children leads them to be more violent
c) Weights Watchers leads to more weight loss if you go to meetings than if you participate online
d) Students do better in statistics if they study with other people than if they study alone
e) Drinking caffeinated beverages with dinner makes it harder to get to sleep at night
Question 4. Within - groups vs. between groups: Noting the market increases in weight across the population, many researchers, nutrionists, and physicians have struggled to find ways to stem the tide of obesity in many Western countries. A number of exercises programs have been advocated by these clinicians and researchers, and there has been a flurry of research to determine their effectiveness. Pretend that you are in charge of a research program to examine the effects of an exercise program on weight loss in comparison with a non-exercise program.
a) Describe how you could study this exercise program using a between groups research design
b) Describe how you would study this exercise program using a within groups design
c) What is a potential confound of a within groups design?