Question

In a study of 30 high school students, researchers found a high correlation, 0.93, between amount of exercise and weight lost. Which of the following statements is TRUE? The researchers proved that exercise causes weight loss, but only for high school students. There is a strong positive linear association between weight loss and exercise, but the researchers have not proven causation. The researchers proved that exercise causes weight loss. 93% of the high school students studied lost weight.

Answer 1

There is a strong positive linear association between weight loss and exercise, but the researchers have not proven causation

Explanation:

Recall that correlation measures the strength and direction of linear association. So r= 0.93 indicates a strong positive linear association. Recall also, that correlation doesn't imply causation. Causation is a direct change in one variable causing a change in some outcome.

Answer 2

Option A is true

The researchers proved that exercise causes weight loss only for high school students.

Explanation:

We are told that the researchers found a high correlation, 0.93, between amount of exercise and weight lost.

Now, looking at each of the options;

- A is True because due to the high correlation, the research proves that exercise causes weight loss but only for high school students.

- B is not true because we are told the correlation is very high at 0.93. Thus, it is untrue that there is no proven causation.

-C is not true because there's no where that the researchers have completely proved that exercise causes weight loss generally. It is only peculiar to the high school students studied.

-D is not true because the 93% is just a correlation and not a percentage of those who lost weight