One of Your Peers Wants to Analyze Whether or Not

question 48

Essay

One of your peers wants to analyze whether or not participating in varsity sports lowers or increases the GPA of students. She decides to collect data from 110 male and female students on their GPA and the number of hours they spend participating in varsity sports. The coefficient in the simple regression function turns out to be significantly negative, using the t-statistic and carrying out the appropriate hypothesis test. Upon reflection, she is concerned that she did not ask the students in her sample whether or not they were female or male. You point out to her that you are more concerned about the effect of omitted variables in her regression, such as the incoming SAT score of the students, and whether or not they are in a major from a high/low grading department. Elaborate on your argument.

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Definitions:

Reproduction

The biological process through which new individual organisms are produced by their parents.

Secondary Xylem

The part of the plant vascular system that transports water and nutrients from the roots to the shoots and leaves, typically forming wood in trees.

Cork Cambium

A layer of tissue in plants that produces cork cells to replace or augment the plant's outer epidermis, contributing to the bark's development.

Secondary Phloem

The part of a plant's vascular system that transports nutrients and is formed after the primary growth phase.