Quantitative Research Methods 1-4

SPSS stands for .....

• Statistical Product and Service Solution

• Software Platform Statistical Science

• Statistical Package for the Social Science

• Solved Product Statistical Science

Which one is the CORRECT statement for standard deviation?

• Standard deviation is the average of the mean between variables.

• Standard deviation is the average mean divided by the total value of the variables.

• Standard deviation is the total minimum value of the variables.

• Standard deviation is the dispersion of data values from the mean.

ANNOVA stand for____

• Analysis of variety

• Analysis of variance

• Anti nation various

• None of these

Give Spongebob a mustache

When variables X and Y are correlated, which explanations are possible?

• X causes Y

• Y causes X

• Z affects both X and Y

• X and Y are completely unrelated

Answer explanation

It is possible for X and Y to be correlated but remain unrelated.

This is because correlation does not prove causation.

The ____ data points you collect, the more likely false correlations will occur.

• More

• Fewer

• Apple-pie

Answer explanation

Data Point: One piece of information about an observation, at a given point in time.

The more Data Points you collect, the more likely it is that they will correlate, due to coincidence alone.

Correlated relationships always last forever.

• True

• False

• -_-

Answer explanation

Correlated relationships may not last forever (e.g. height and age are correlated in youth but less correlated in adulthood).

Extrapolating beyond region of applicability for a relationship is known as Generalisation Error.

Extrapolating beyond the region of applicability for a relationship is known as a _____.

• Major Boo-Boo

• Generalisation Error

• Factual Inconsistency

• Statistical Anomaly

Answer explanation

E.g. While one can extrapolate that a boy aged 10 will be taller than a boy aged 5, assuming that a man aged 50 will be taller than a man aged 40 is a Generalisation Error, as the positive correlation between age and height is not applicable past a certain point.

Why is the left chart misleading?

• The Y-axis does not start at 0

• The X-axis starts on a different year

• The data in the left chart is falsified

• The left chart is reversed

Answer explanation

This is done to make the data look more visually dramatic and is not an honest representation of the facts.

Starting a Y-Axis at 0 provides proper context to the data.

Further reading:

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/150619-data-points-five-ways-to-lie-with-charts

A _____ data set is more likely to show _____ results

• Small; extreme

• Large; extreme

• Small; average

• Large; average

Answer explanation

A small data set is more likely to show extreme results.

A large data set is more likely to show average distribution.

If you flip a coin 5 times, you are more likely to get 100% tails than if you flip a coin 50 times.