2.40 Developing research ideas from frequency distributions: Below are frequency distributions for two sets of the friends data described in Exercise 2.38, one for the students and one for the faculty members studied. Interval Faculty frequency Student frequency 24–27 0 2 20–23 0 37 16–19 0 27 12–15 0 2 8–11 1 24 4–7 11 26 0–3 21 0

a. How would you describe the distribution for faculty members?

b. How would you describe the distribution for students?

c. If you were to conduct a study comparing the numbers of friends that faculty members and students have, what would the independent variable be and what would be the levels of the independent variable?

d. In the study described in part (c), what would the dependent variable be?

e. What is a confounding variable that might be present in the study described in part (c)?

f. Suggest at least two additional ways to operationalize the dependent variable. Would either of these ways reduce the impact of the confounding variable described in part (e)?