Question

Instructions: For each of the studies list below, first indicate the (A) null and (B) alternative hypotheses. Where possible, note whether it is directional or non-directional. Second, note the (C) IVs and (D) DVs (if present). Third, indicate (E) the most appropriate statistical test to use (Figure 13.1 in Salkind, page 235 may help unless it is a correlational study!). Finally, based on your own thought about how the data would turn out if you ran it, I want you to (F) write up the results as you would see it in an APA results section of an empirical article (make up the statistics, including F values, t values, correlation values, degrees of freedom, means, SDs, etc.. Make sure to write them in APA format and make sure they make sense in context – e.g. if you note significance, it must be higher than the tabled critical values).

1.         Researchers want to see whether what a victim is wearing impacts assessments of whether she was raped. They dress her in either sexually suggestive clothing or business casual clothing. Participants determined whether the alleged rapist is guilty of rape on a ten point scale (0 = not at all guilty to 10 = very guilty).

A.        Null hypothesis:

B.        Alternative hypothesis:

C.        IVs:

D.        DVs:

E.         Best test to use:

F.         Results Write-Up

Answer 1

A. There is no significant relationship between a victim’s clothes and assessment of sexual abuse made by others.

B. There is a significant relationship between a victim’s clothes and assessment of sexual abuse made by others.

C. The victim’s clothes is the independent variable.

D. The assessment of sexual abuse made by others is the dependent variable.

E. The best test to use is biserial correlation. This is because an attempt is being made to understand the relationship between a categorical variable (victim’s clothes) and a continuous variable (assessment of sexual abuse).

F. A biserial correlation was computed in order to assess the relationship between victim’s clothes and the assessment of sexual abuse made by others. The results revealed a weak correlation between the variables, r(55) = .23, p < .01.