We continue our examination of attitudes regarding homosexuality. Suppose that a classmate of yours suggests that views about homosexual relations can be explained by the frequency of church attendance. Your classmate shows you the following table taken from the 2010 GSS sample. (Frequencies are shown below.)

a. Which is the dependent variable in this table? Which is the independent variable?
b. Calculate the percentages using church attendance as the independent variable for each cell in the table. Is there a relationship between church attendance and views about homosexual relations? If so, how strong is it?
c. Suppose that you respond to your classmate by stating that it is not church attendance that explains views about homosexual relations; rather, it is ones opinion about the nature of right and wrong (i.e., morality) that explains attitudes about homosexual relations. Why might there be a potential problem with your argument? Think in terms of assigning variables to the independent and dependent categories.

Transcribed Image Text:

Homosexua Relations Always wrong Not wrong at all Total Church Attendance Several Times a Year 52 36 Every Werk 136 38 174 Total 238 185 123 Never 50 161