When Determining Correlations, Sociologists Sometimes Fall Victim to Spurious Relationships

question 52

Essay

When determining correlations, sociologists sometimes fall victim to spurious relationships. What is a spurious relationship, and how did the Coleman Report demonstrate a spurious relationship between school resources and test scores?

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Definitions:

Stimulus Response Bond

The connection formed between a specific stimulus and a specific response through conditioning.

Matching Law

A principle in behavioral psychology stating that the proportion of responses directed toward an option matches the proportion of reinforcements obtained from that option.

Contend

To strive in opposition or against difficulties; to compete or argue.

Mowrer's Two-Factor Theory

Mowrer's Two-Factor Theory is a psychological theory that integrates classical conditioning and operant conditioning to explain the development of phobias and anxiety.