A Researcher Finds That the Number of Murders Committed During

question 12

Multiple Choice

A researcher finds that the number of murders committed during a summer is correlated with the number of ice cream cones consumed.However,the researcher realizes that there is a third variable problem related to this finding.What might this problem be?

• A)It's possible that people eat more ice cream to console themselves about news that murder is being committed,rather than murder being committed as a result of ice cream sales.
• B)High temperatures might be causing both greater ice cream sales and more aggressive acts of violence.
• C)Victims of murder cannot be randomly assigned to a condition.
• D)The number of murders committed in an area might not only be causing more ice cream sales but also more toy sales.

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Definitions:

Independent Variable

A variable in a scientific experiment that is manipulated or changed to test its effects on the dependent variable.

Coefficient of Correlation

A numerical measure that indicates the strength and direction of a linear relationship between two variables.

Coefficient of Variation

A measure of relative variability computed as the ratio of the standard deviation to the mean, often expressed as a percentage.

Covariance

A measure indicating the extent to which two variables change together, signifying the direction of their linear relationship.