Question.4208 - SOCI 5314 Assignment 1 1. For each of the following variables, provide an operational definition at the interval or ratio level and one at the nominal or ordinal level. An “operational definition” of a variable/concept refers to how a researcher “measures” the variable/concept in the study. For example, we often use a student’s GPA (operation definition) to measure a student’s academic accomplishment (variable). (19 points) a. social class b. disability status c. mental health d. obesity 2. Explain whether each of the following statements is based on descriptive statistics or inferential statistics. (15 points) a. According to the Gallup Poll, about 81 percent of American adults said that there is plenty of opportunity and anyone who works hard can go as far as they want. b. The homeless constitute one-tenth of the population in poverty in Chicago. c. As of January 1, 2014, there were more than 14.5 million cancer survivors living in the United States. 3. For each research situation below, identify a) the research design, b) the independent and dependent variables, c) the unit of analysis, d) sample size, e) population, and f) an appropriate analytical/statistical technique: (48 points) a. A graduate student is studying sexual harassment on college campus and asks a simple random sample of 500 female students if they personally have experienced any such incidents. The researcher also gathers data on age, GPA, and racial background to see if there is any connection between these variables and experience of sexual harassment (measured by yes or no). b. A health psychologist is interested in whether fear motivation is effective in reducing the incidence of smoking. Forty adult smokers are selected from individuals residing in the city in which the psychologist works. Twenty are asked to smoke a cigarette, after which they see a gruesome film about how smoking causes cancer. Vivid pictures of the deceased smokers are shown in an effort to instill fear of smoking in these subjects. The other group receives the same treatment, except they see a neutral film that is unrelated to smoking. For 2 months after showing the film, the experimenter keeps records on the number of cigarettes smoked daily by the participants. 4. Identify the level of measurement (i.e., nominal, ordinal, interval, or ratio) for questions in the following student survey. (18 points) a) What is your birthdate? _________________ b) How would you classify your academic performance? Are you ___ an excellent, mostly “As” student ___ a good, mostly “Bs” student ___ an average, mostly “Cs” student ___ a below average, mostly “Ds” student c) On average, how many cigarettes per day do you smoke? _______ d) If you are a smoker, how many cigarettes do you tend to smoke on an average day? ___per day e) What is your weight? f) Your age: ___ Younger than 20 ___ 20-29 ___ 30-39 ___ 40-49 ___ 50-59 ___ 60-69 ___ 70 or older

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