A health psychologist, who is interested in childhood obesity, thinks that there may be a
relationship between daily television viewing and eating habits. Data is collected from 500
children; for each child, information is collected on the number of hours of daily television
viewing and the number of calories consumed each day. What technique should the health
psychologist use to analyze the data?
a. t-test for two independent samples
b. t-test for matched pairs
c. correlation
d. Chi square test for independence
I think it is C
Please explain your answer.
Agree.
The correct technique to analyze the data in this scenario is c. correlation.
The health psychologist wants to investigate the relationship between two variables, namely the number of hours of daily television viewing and the number of calories consumed each day. Correlation analysis is a statistical technique used to determine the strength and direction of the association between two continuous variables.
In this case, both the number of hours of daily television viewing and the number of calories consumed are continuous variables that can take on various values. Correlation analysis allows the health psychologist to examine whether there is a relationship between these two variables and if so, determine the direction and strength of that relationship.
To perform a correlation analysis, the health psychologist will calculate a correlation coefficient, usually denoted by the letter "r". The correlation coefficient ranges from -1 to +1, with -1 indicating a perfect negative relationship, +1 indicating a perfect positive relationship, and 0 indicating no relationship. The closer the correlation coefficient is to -1 or +1, the stronger the relationship between the variables.
The health psychologist can use statistical software or calculators to compute the correlation coefficient and determine its significance. It is important to note that correlation does not imply causation, but it can provide valuable insights into the potential relationship between daily television viewing and eating habits in children.