1.24 Sample versus population in Norway: The Nord-Trndelag health study surveyed more than 60,000 people in a Norwegian county and reported that gastrointestinal symptoms, depression, and anxiety disorders are strongly related (Haug, Mykletun, & Dahl, 2002).

a.What is the sample used by these researchers?

b.What is the population to which the researchers would like to extend their findings?

1.26 Types of variables and the Kentucky Derby: The Kentucky Derby is perhaps the premier event in U.S. horse racing. For each of the following examples from the derby, identify the type of variablenominal, ordinal, or scale.

a.As racing fans, we would be very interested in the variable finishing position. A horse called Orb won in 2013, followed by Golden Soul in second and Revolutionary in third.

b.We also might be interested in the variable finishing time. Orb won in 2 minutes, 2.89 seconds.

c.Derby attendance was 151,616 in 2013, not as high as the record-setting 165,307 people who attended in 2012.

d.If we were the betting type, we might examine the variable payoffs. For each $2.00 bet on Orb, a gambler won $12.80.

e.We might be interested in the history of the derby and the demographic variables of jockeys, such as gender or race. For example, in the first 28 races of the Kentucky Derby, 15 of the winning jockeys were African American.

f.In the luxury boxes, high fashion reigns; we might be curious about the variable of hat wearing, observing how many women wear hats and how many do not.

1.28 Reliability and validity: Go online and take the personality test found at outofservice.com/starwars. This test assesses your personality in terms of the characters from the original Star Wars movies.

a.What does it mean for a test to be reliable? Take the test a second time. Does it seem to be reliable?

b.What does it mean for a test to be valid? Does this test seem to be valid? Explain.

c.The test asks a number of demographic questions at the end, including "In what country did you spend most of your youth?" Can you think of a hypothesis that might have led the developers of this Web site to ask this question?

d.For your hypothesis in part (c), identify the independent and dependent variables.

1.30 Operationalizing variables and rap statistics: The Web site Rap Genius (now just Genius) analyzes rap music using what it calls RapMetrics (rapgenius.com/posts/63-Introducing-rapmetricstm-the-birth-of-statistical-analysis-of-rap-lyrics). It developed a measure called rhyme density, which is the proportion of all syllables that rhyme with another syllable. Eminem's Without Me, for example, has a rhyme density of 0.49 (49%) because almost half of the lyrics are part of a rhyme, whereas Notorious B.I.G.'s Juicy only has a rhyme density of 0.23 (23%). The people behind Rap Genius say, "Over the course of a career, the rappers with the highest rhyme densities are basically the best technical rappers."

a.How does Rap Genius operationalize the best rapper?

b.List at least three other variables that might be considered in determining the best rapper.

c.Across all songs, MF Doom came in first with an overall rhyme density of 0.44, and Cam'ron came in second with a rhyme density of 0.41. What kind of variable is the ranking, and what kind of variable is the rhyme density?

d.Rap Genius summarized its rhyme density discussion by saying: "MF Doom surprised us a little. First the big New Yorker profile and now this...it's too much! Cam'ron is much more culturally relevant and interesting (plus he doesn't need to wear a mask, he's naturally silly), so we at RapMetrics consider him the G.O.A.T. [greatest of all time] MC [rapper] overall." Rap Genius, therefore, changed its operational definition a bit. What has it added to its operational definition of the overall G.O.A.T. MC?

1.32 Between-groups versus within-groups and exercise: Noting marked increases in weight across the population, researchers, nutritionists, and physicians have struggled to find ways to stem the tide of obesity in many Western countries. They have advocated a number of exercise programs, and there has been a flurry of research to determine the effectiveness of these programs. Pretend that you are in charge of a research study to examine the effects of an exercise program on weight loss in comparison with a program that does not involve exercise.

a.Describe how you could study the exercise program using a between-groups research design.

b.Describe how you could study the exercise program using a within-groups design.

c.What is a potential confound of a within-groups design?

1.34 Experimental versus correlational research and culture: A researcher interested in the cultural values of individualistic and collectivist societies collects data on the rate of relationship conflict experienced by 32 people who test high for individualism and 37 people who test high for collectivism.

a.Is this research experimental or correlational? Explain.

b.What is the sample?

c.Write possible hypothesis for this researcher.

d.How might we operationalize relationship conflict?