Question

Instructions: Write your responses to the following 5 questions for at least 5 of the 7 example news stories about correlational studies:

1. Identify X and describe how it is being measured
2. Identify Y and describe how it is being measured
3. State the direction of the correlation (+ or –)
4. Identify a possible Z (third) variable
5. Fully interpret the relationship between X and Y (in plain English)

Example 7: The More Cash People Have, the Happier They Are

Conventional wisdom says you should be investing as much of your excess money as you possibly can. That may be the best path to greater wealth. But it may not be the best path to happiness. Recent research has yielded surprising new insights: the amount of money you have in your bank account right now is more strongly associated with happiness than your aggregate wealth. This makes sense for the poorest 50% of participants in the study, but it’s surprising that it’s still the case for the richest 50%. Even for a very wealthy person who has lots of savings and investments, having more money in their checking account seems to increase their happiness.

Answer 1