Question

A New York Times article reported that average SAT Math scores for the high school class of 2007 dropped 3 points compared with scores in 2006. Officials of the College Board, the nonprofit organization that administers the SAT, suggested that increased numbers of students taking the SAT had contributed to the decline in scores. "The larger the population you get that takes the exam, it obviously knocks down the scores," said Gaston Caperton, the president of the College Board.

Is this conclusion the result of an experiment? Why or why not? What are the explanatory and response variables?

Answer 1

(1)

Question:

Is this conclusion the result of an experiment?

This conclusion is not the result of an experiment, it is only an observational study.

(2)

Question:

Why or why not?

In this study, the reasearcher is not manipulating the Independent Variable: numbers of students taking the SAT in order to study effect on the Dependent Variable: average SAT Math scores for the high school class as required for an experiment. In this study, the researcher simply compares the available data on numbers of students taking the SAT and average SAT Math scores for the high school class for the years 2006 and 2007 and so this is only an observational study.

(3)

Question:

What are the explanatory and response variables?

explanatory variable: numbers of students taking the SAT

response variables: average SAT Math scores for the high school class