Question

Lurking variable example: A study looked at the relationship between televisions and physicians. For 32 countries, the researchers recorded the number of people per TV set in that country and the number of people per doctor in that county. They found a correlation of 0.852. What possible lurking variable could there be in this study?

A. Income level
B. Education level
C. Population density
D. Government spending on healthcare

Answer 1

In the study finding a correlation between televisions and physicians, the lurking variable could be income level, which affects both access to televisions and healthcare availability.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the study examining the relationship between the number of televisions and the number of physicians in 32 countries, which found a correlation of 0.852, a possible lurking variable could be income level. Because income level can influence both the availability of televisions and access to healthcare, it might be the real reason behind the observed correlation, rather than a direct relationship between televisions and physicians. Other potential lurking variables, such as education level, population density, and government spending on healthcare, could also potentially explain this correlation, but income level is a strong candidate since it is broadly connected to both technology and healthcare.