Directions
• Answer the questions in this document in a different color and not bolded.
• For an example of formatting, see the worked examples in the Lesson 1 module in Canvas.
• Copying answers from any source is an academic integrity violation. Posting content from this assignment to any online site outside of this course is an academic integrity violation.
• If you have any questions, post them to the course discussion board.
• No statistical software is needed to complete this assignment.
Use the following scenario to answer questions 1 – 11.
Research question: In Pennsylvania, are graduating seniors who attend a school with a college counselor more likely to attend college than graduating seniors who attend a school without a college counselor?
Researchers are going to collect data from 200 graduating seniors in Pennsylvania. They will call each student to ask and ask two questions: (1) Did your high school have a college counselor? and (2) Will you be attending college this fall?
1. Is this an observational or experimental study? Explain how you determined this. [10 points]
2. What is the intended population in the study? [5 points]
3. What is the sample in the study? [5 points]
4. What are the explanatory and response variables in this study? Explain how you determined this. [10 points]
5. Is the explanatory variable you identified in question 4 a categorical or quantitative variable? Explain how you determined this. [10 points]
6. Is the response variable you identified in question 4 a categorical or quantitative variable? Explain how you determined this. [10 points]
7. Describe how researchers could use a convenience sampling method to obtain a sample of 200 graduating seniors in Pennsylvania. In other words, describe the procedures of obtaining a convenience sample in this scenario. [10 points]
In this study, the researchers could obtain a convenience sample by….
8. Describe how researchers could use a simple random sampling method to obtain a sample of 200 graduating seniors in Pennsylvania. In other words, describe the procedures of obtaining a simple random sample in this scenario. [10 points]
In this study, the researchers could obtain a simple random sample by….
9. In order to obtain a sample that is representative of the intended population, should researchers use the convenience sampling method from question 7 or the simple random sampling method from question 8? Explain why. [10 points]
10. Suppose this study finds that graduating seniors who attended a school with a college counselor are more likely to attend college than graduating seniors who attended a school without a college counselor. Can the researchers conclude that attending a school with a college counselor causes students to be more likely to attend college? Explain why or why not. [10 points]
11. What is one possible confounding variable in this study? Explain why this is a possible confounding variable. [10 points]
