Topic: exercise
Section I:
1: What was the U.S. consumer savings rate in 1998, 2002, 2006, and 2009?
The motivation of the research was to give description
2: Do self-esteem rating scales differ between teenagers who live in two-parent households versus those who live in single-parent households?
The motivation of the research was to identify the difference.
Dependent variable: Self-esteem rating scales of teenagers
Independent variable: Teenagers who live in two-parent households versus those who live in single-parent households
Alternative directional hypothesis : The self-esteem of teenagers who live in two-parent households is greater than for those who live in single-parent households.
3. What is the effect of attending a peer nutrition counseling program on college students’ knowledge of healthy food three months later?
The motivation of the research was to give an explanation (inferring and effect).
Dependent variable: College students’ knowledge of healthy food
Independent variable: Attending a peer nutrition counseling program
Alternative directional hypothesis : The knowledge of healthy food three would be lesser three months later without attending a peer nutrition counseling program.
4. Holding constant husbands’ wage rates, is there an effect of wives’ wage rates on their husbands’ time allocation to household works?
The motivation of the research was to establish relationship.
Dependent variable: Time allocation to household works
Independent variable: Wage rates of husbands and wives
Alternative directional hypothesis : Holding the wages of husbands constant, the effect of wives’ rates on their husbands’ time allocation to household would be greater.
5. Are California counties’ unemployment rates associated with California counties’ rates of substandard (“low quality”) housing among female headed households?
The motivation of the research was to establish relationship
Dependent variable: California counties’ rates of substandard (“low quality”) housing among female headed households
Independent variable: California counties’ unemployment rates
Alternative directional hypothesis : The rates of California counties’ rates of substandard housing among female headed households is lesser than the rates of California counties’ unemployment.
6. What is the proportion of U.S. households who have used online banking services?
The motivation was to give description.
7. What is the effect of a change in the price of organic milk on the quantity demanded of organic milk by American consumers?
The motivation of the research was to give description.
8. Is the effect of organic milk price change on the quantity demanded of organic milk the same for consumers of different ethnicities (Caucasian-Americans, African-Americans, and Asian Americans)? (Hint: how many I.V.s are there?)
The motivation of the research was to give description.
Section II: Correct Answers
Question 1: Null hypothesis
Answer C: There is no relationship between applicants’ race and gender and the rate at which their loan applications are approved
Question 2: Example of an alternate one-tailed (or directional) hypothesis)
Answer B: Students who have higher opportunity cost of time have lower grade point average than those who have a lower opportunity cost of time.
Question 3: Hypothesis of an interaction effect of two independent variables
Answer B: Males have higher rates of obesity than do females.
Section III: Process of arriving at a research question and hypothesis
a) more specific purpose statement:
My purpose for this research is to establish the knowledge of consumers about nutrition.
b) a research question with at least one independent and one dependent variable :
Is there relationship between daily vitamin C intake (Independent variable) and life expectancy of the person (dependent variable)?
c) null hypothesis for your new research question :
There is no relationship between the daily vitamin C intake and the life expectancy of a person
d) alternative directional/one-tailed hypothesis for your new research question:
The daily intake of vitamin C increases the life expectancy of a person.
The alternative hypothesis indicates that there is a treatment effect or a difference between the sample data and the expected results according to the null hypothesis (Kumar, nd).
Reference:
Kumar, Rajendar. (nd). Research Methodology. Delhi, APH Publishing.
