1Which assumption states that the relationship between two variables should follow approximately a straight line?
Assumption of Correlation
Easy
A.Normality
B.Linearity
C.Independence
D.Homogeneity
Correct Answer: Linearity
Explanation:
Linearity means that the relationship between the two variables can be represented approximately by a straight line.
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2Which type of variables is generally appropriate for Pearson correlation?
Assumption of Correlation
Easy
A.Text categories
B.Binary labels
C.Nominal variables
D.Continuous variables
Correct Answer: Continuous variables
Explanation:
Pearson correlation is generally used when both variables are continuous and measured at the interval or ratio level.
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3Which feature of a dataset can strongly distort the value of Pearson correlation?
Assumption of Correlation
Easy
A.Extreme outliers
B.Equal sample labels
C.Clear variable names
D.Ordered data rows
Correct Answer: Extreme outliers
Explanation:
Extreme outliers can substantially increase or decrease Pearson's correlation coefficient.
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4What does the independence assumption require in correlation analysis?
Assumption of Correlation
Easy
A.Each sample has zero variation
B.Each score has the same rank
C.Each observation is independent
D.Each variable has equal values
Correct Answer: Each observation is independent
Explanation:
Independence means that one observation should not determine or depend on another observation.
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5What does Pearson's correlation coefficient measure?
Pearson Correlation
Easy
A.A linear relationship
B.A frequency distribution
C.A change in ranks
D.A difference in means
Correct Answer: A linear relationship
Explanation:
Pearson's coefficient measures the strength and direction of the linear relationship between two variables.
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6What is the possible range of Pearson's correlation coefficient ?
Pearson Correlation
Easy
A. to
B. to
C. to
D. to
Correct Answer: to
Explanation:
Pearson's ranges from for a perfect negative relationship to for a perfect positive relationship.
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7What does a Pearson correlation of indicate?
Pearson Correlation
Easy
A.No linear correlation
B.Perfect negative correlation
C.Weak positive correlation
D.Perfect positive correlation
Correct Answer: Perfect positive correlation
Explanation:
A value of indicates a perfect positive linear relationship between the variables.
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8What does a Pearson correlation close to generally indicate?
Pearson Correlation
Easy
A.Little linear relationship
B.Strong linear relationship
C.Perfect positive relationship
D.Perfect negative relationship
Correct Answer: Little linear relationship
Explanation:
A Pearson correlation near indicates little or no linear relationship, although a nonlinear relationship may still exist.
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9Spearman correlation is calculated primarily using what type of information?
Spearman Correlation
Easy
A.Variances of values
B.Frequencies of values
C.Means of values
D.Ranks of values
Correct Answer: Ranks of values
Explanation:
Spearman correlation uses the ranks of observations rather than their original numerical values.
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10Which symbol is commonly used for Spearman's rank correlation coefficient?
Spearman Correlation
Easy
A.
B.
C.
D.
Correct Answer:
Explanation:
Spearman's rank correlation coefficient is commonly represented by the Greek letter rho, .
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11Spearman correlation is most suitable for measuring which type of relationship?
Spearman Correlation
Easy
A.Causal relationship
B.Monotonic relationship
C.Experimental relationship
D.Random relationship
Correct Answer: Monotonic relationship
Explanation:
Spearman correlation measures a monotonic relationship in which variables tend to move consistently in the same or opposite directions.
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12When is Spearman correlation often preferred over Pearson correlation?
Spearman Correlation
Easy
A.When data are identifiers
B.When data are file names
C.When data are unrecorded
D.When data are ordinal
Correct Answer: When data are ordinal
Explanation:
Spearman correlation is appropriate for ordinal data because it is based on ranked observations.
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13What is the main purpose of regression analysis?
Concepts of Regression
Easy
A.Ranking all observations
B.Predicting an outcome
C.Naming each variable
D.Counting missing labels
Correct Answer: Predicting an outcome
Explanation:
Regression analysis is commonly used to explain or predict an outcome from one or more predictor variables.
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14In regression, what is the variable being predicted called?
Concepts of Regression
Easy
A.Dependent variable
B.Control variable
C.Independent variable
D.Grouping variable
Correct Answer: Dependent variable
Explanation:
The dependent variable is the outcome that the regression model attempts to explain or predict.
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15In regression, what is an independent variable also commonly called?
Concepts of Regression
Easy
A.Outcome variable
B.Error variable
C.Predictor variable
D.Response variable
Correct Answer: Predictor variable
Explanation:
An independent variable is also called a predictor because it is used to predict the dependent variable.
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16What is a residual in a regression model?
Concepts of Regression
Easy
A.Maximum value minus minimum value
B.Sample mean minus observed value
C.Observed value minus predicted value
D.Predicted value minus sample mean
Correct Answer: Observed value minus predicted value
Explanation:
A residual is the difference between an observed outcome and the outcome predicted by the model.
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17Which equation represents a simple linear regression model?
Linear Regression Analysis
Easy
A.
B.
C.
D.
Correct Answer:
Explanation:
Simple linear regression represents the outcome as an intercept plus the slope multiplied by the predictor.
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18In the equation , what does represent?
Linear Regression Analysis
Easy
A.Slope of the line
B.Mean of the outcome
C.Intercept of the line
D.Range of the predictor
Correct Answer: Slope of the line
Explanation:
The slope shows the expected change in for a one-unit increase in .
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19In the equation , what does represent?
Linear Regression Analysis
Easy
A.Value of when
B.Value of when
C.Difference between observed and predicted
D.Change in for one unit of
Correct Answer: Value of when
Explanation:
The intercept is the predicted value of when the predictor equals zero.
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20What does a positive slope in a linear regression model indicate?
Linear Regression Analysis
Easy
A. remains constant as increases
B. tends to decrease as increases
C. and have no measured values
D. tends to increase as increases
Correct Answer: tends to increase as increases
Explanation:
A positive slope means that higher values of are associated with higher predicted values of .
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21A researcher wants to examine the correlation between study hours and examination scores using Pearson correlation. Which assumption should be checked first to ensure that the relationship is suitable for this analysis?
Assumption of Correlation
Medium
A.The variables have nominal categories
B.The variables have identical means
C.The sample contains equal groups
D.The variables have a linear relationship
Correct Answer: The variables have a linear relationship
Explanation:
Pearson correlation measures the strength of a linear relationship, so linearity should be assessed before interpretation.
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22A scatterplot shows that most observations follow a linear pattern, but one extreme observation lies far from the remaining points. What is the main concern before calculating Pearson correlation?
Assumption of Correlation
Medium
A.The presence of a possible influential outlier
B.The presence of too many observations
C.The use of a continuous measurement scale
D.The absence of a dependent variable
Correct Answer: The presence of a possible influential outlier
Explanation:
An extreme outlier can substantially increase or decrease the observed Pearson correlation and should be investigated.
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23Which situation most clearly violates the assumption of independence of observations in a correlation study?
Assumption of Correlation
Medium
A.Measuring the same participants at several time points
B.Using scores obtained from different individuals
C.Collecting data from participants selected randomly
D.Measuring two variables for each participant once
Correct Answer: Measuring the same participants at several time points
Explanation:
Repeated measurements from the same participants are related, so they do not represent independent observations without an appropriate repeated-measures approach.
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24A researcher records income in highly unequal groups and finds a strongly skewed distribution. Which action is most appropriate before using Pearson correlation?
Assumption of Correlation
Medium
A.Delete all observations above the median
B.Replace income with participant identification numbers
C.Assume skewness has no effect on the analysis
D.Inspect the data and consider a suitable transformation
Correct Answer: Inspect the data and consider a suitable transformation
Explanation:
Strong skewness can affect Pearson correlation, especially in small samples, so the researcher should inspect the data and consider transformation or another correlation method.
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25A study reports between stress level and sleep quality. What is the best interpretation?
Pearson Correlation
Medium
A.There is a weak positive linear association
B.There is no relationship between the variables
C.Stress directly causes poor sleep quality
D.There is a strong negative linear association
Correct Answer: There is a strong negative linear association
Explanation:
A correlation of indicates a strong inverse linear relationship, but it does not establish that stress causes changes in sleep quality.
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26If the Pearson correlation between two variables is , approximately what proportion of variance is shared by the variables?
Pearson Correlation
Medium
A.94 percent
B.60 percent
C.6 percent
D.36 percent
Correct Answer: 36 percent
Explanation:
The coefficient of determination is . Thus, , meaning approximately 36 percent of variance is shared.
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27A correlation of is found between two variables in a large sample, with a statistically significant -value. What conclusion is most appropriate?
Pearson Correlation
Medium
A.The variables must have a perfect linear relationship
B.The result proves that one variable causes the other
C.The association is strong because the result is significant
D.The association is statistically detectable but practically weak
Correct Answer: The association is statistically detectable but practically weak
Explanation:
Statistical significance can occur with a large sample even when the correlation is very small. The value indicates a weak association.
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28When every observed value of variable is multiplied by 10, while the values of remain unchanged, what happens to Pearson's correlation?
Pearson Correlation
Medium
A.Its value becomes one-tenth as large
B.Its value remains unchanged
C.Its value changes from positive to negative
D.Its value becomes 10 times larger
Correct Answer: Its value remains unchanged
Explanation:
Pearson correlation is unaffected by positive changes in measurement units because it is a standardized measure of association.
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29A scatterplot forms a clear U-shaped pattern, but the Pearson correlation is close to zero. What does this result suggest?
Pearson Correlation
Medium
A.The variables may have a nonlinear relationship
B.The variables have a strong negative relationship
C.The Pearson coefficient must have been calculated incorrectly
D.The variables are measured without error
Correct Answer: The variables may have a nonlinear relationship
Explanation:
Pearson correlation measures linear association. A strong curved relationship can therefore produce a correlation near zero.
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30A researcher collects customer satisfaction ratings on an ordered scale from 1 to 5 and wants to assess whether satisfaction increases with service quality. Which correlation is most suitable?
Spearman Correlation
Medium
A.A point-biserial correlation
B.Spearman rank correlation
C.Pearson correlation only
D.A phi coefficient
Correct Answer: Spearman rank correlation
Explanation:
Spearman correlation is appropriate for ordinal data and for assessing monotonic relationships based on ranks.
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31Two participants receive the same rank for a variable because they have equal scores. How should this tied rank generally be assigned?
Spearman Correlation
Medium
A.The lower rank assigned to both participants
B.A randomly selected rank for each participant
C.The average of the ranks they would occupy
D.The higher rank assigned to both participants
Correct Answer: The average of the ranks they would occupy
Explanation:
Tied observations are commonly assigned the mean of the ranks they would have received.
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32A Spearman correlation of is obtained between two rankings. What does this indicate?
Spearman Correlation
Medium
A.A strong inverse monotonic association
B.A perfect absence of association
C.A strong causal effect of one ranking
D.A weak direct monotonic association
Correct Answer: A strong inverse monotonic association
Explanation:
A value close to indicates that higher ranks on one variable tend to correspond to lower ranks on the other.
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33Which data pattern is especially appropriate for Spearman correlation rather than Pearson correlation?
Spearman Correlation
Medium
A.A single variable measured without any variation
B.Two nominal variables with unrelated categories
C.A monotonic relationship with substantial outliers
D.A perfectly linear relationship with no outliers
Correct Answer: A monotonic relationship with substantial outliers
Explanation:
Spearman correlation uses ranks, making it less sensitive to extreme values and suitable for monotonic relationships that may not be linear.
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34In a regression model predicting exam score from study hours, which variable is the predictor?
Concepts of Regression
Medium
A.The residual error
B.Study hours
C.The sample size
D.Exam score
Correct Answer: Study hours
Explanation:
The predictor, or independent variable, is the variable used to explain or predict the outcome. Here, study hours predicts exam score.
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35What does a residual represent in a regression model?
Concepts of Regression
Medium
A.The total variation in the predictor
B.The slope divided by the intercept
C.The predicted value minus the sample mean
D.The observed value minus its predicted value
Correct Answer: The observed value minus its predicted value
Explanation:
A residual is calculated as , the difference between the observed outcome and the model's predicted outcome.
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36A regression model has an value of . What does this value indicate?
Concepts of Regression
Medium
A.The model predicts 49 individual observations correctly
B.The model has an error rate of exactly 49 percent
C.The correlation between variables must be
D.The model explains 49 percent of outcome variance
Correct Answer: The model explains 49 percent of outcome variance
Explanation:
means that the predictors account for approximately 49 percent of the variation in the dependent variable.
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37Why is extrapolating far beyond the observed range of a predictor potentially risky?
Concepts of Regression
Medium
A.The residuals are always eliminated beyond the range
B.The relationship may not continue outside the observed range
C.The dependent variable becomes categorical outside the range
D.The regression slope automatically becomes zero
Correct Answer: The relationship may not continue outside the observed range
Explanation:
Extrapolation assumes that the observed relationship remains valid in an unobserved region, which may be inaccurate.
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38A fitted regression equation is . What is the predicted value of when ?
Linear Regression Analysis
Medium
A.16
B.36
C.24
D.20
Correct Answer: 24
Explanation:
Substituting gives .
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39In the equation , what does the slope indicate?
Linear Regression Analysis
Medium
A.Predicted increases by 2 for each unit increase in
B.Predicted decreases by 2 for each unit increase in
C.Predicted equals 18 for every value of
D.Predicted decreases by 18 for each unit increase in
Correct Answer: Predicted decreases by 2 for each unit increase in
Explanation:
The slope is , so the predicted outcome decreases by 2 units whenever the predictor increases by 1 unit.
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40A regression analysis produces residuals that become larger as the predicted values increase. Which assumption may be violated?
Linear Regression Analysis
Medium
A.The assumption that all predictors are identical
B.The assumption that the outcome is categorical
C.The assumption that the slope is positive
D.The assumption of constant error variance
Correct Answer: The assumption of constant error variance
Explanation:
A systematic increase in residual spread suggests heteroscedasticity, meaning that the variance of errors is not constant.
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41A researcher obtains a Pearson correlation of between continuous variables and . Under which additional condition does this result imply that and are statistically independent?
Assumption of Correlation
Hard
A.The relationship is homoscedastic around both means
B.The variables follow a joint bivariate normal distribution
C.The sample contains more than 30 observations
D.The variables have equal marginal variances
Correct Answer: The variables follow a joint bivariate normal distribution
Explanation:
Zero correlation does not generally imply independence. For jointly bivariate normal variables, however, zero covariance and hence zero correlation imply statistical independence.
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42A scatterplot shows a strong U-shaped relationship between and , but Pearson's correlation is approximately zero. Which interpretation is most appropriate?
Assumption of Correlation
Hard
A.There is no systematic association between the variables
B.The association is strong but not adequately summarized by a linear coefficient
C.The association must result from heteroscedastic measurement error
D.The correlation is invalid because both variables must be ordinal
Correct Answer: The association is strong but not adequately summarized by a linear coefficient
Explanation:
Pearson correlation measures linear association. Opposing slopes on the two sides of a U-shaped pattern can cancel, producing despite strong nonlinear dependence.
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43In a study of blood pressure and age, each participant contributes four repeated measurements, but all measurements are analyzed as independent pairs. What is the most likely consequence for conventional correlation inference?
Assumption of Correlation
Hard
A.The estimated correlation is forced toward exactly zero
B.The coefficient becomes identical to a partial correlation
C.The standard error increases because the sample variance vanishes
D.The standard error may be underestimated because observations are dependent
Correct Answer: The standard error may be underestimated because observations are dependent
Explanation:
Repeated observations from the same participant are correlated. Treating them as independent exaggerates the effective sample size and can produce standard errors and -values that are too small.
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44A population has a linear positive relationship between aptitude and performance. A study includes only applicants whose aptitude scores fall in the top 5%. Assuming no other selection mechanism, what is the most likely effect on the observed Pearson correlation?
Assumption of Correlation
Hard
A.It is generally inflated because extreme performance scores remain observable
B.It becomes negative because aptitude has been conditioned on
C.It is unchanged because correlation is invariant to sample selection
D.It is generally attenuated because the range of aptitude is restricted
Correct Answer: It is generally attenuated because the range of aptitude is restricted
Explanation:
Restriction of range reduces variation in and commonly weakens the observed covariance relative to the full population, attenuating the correlation.
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45Suppose , , and . What is the partial correlation ?
Pearson Correlation
Hard
A.
B.
C.
D.
Correct Answer:
Explanation:
Using gives .
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46For independent pairs, a sample Pearson correlation is . Under the null hypothesis , what is the corresponding statistic?
Pearson Correlation
Hard
A. with degrees of freedom
B. with degrees of freedom
C. with degrees of freedom
D. with degrees of freedom
Correct Answer: with degrees of freedom
Explanation:
The test statistic is , with degrees of freedom.
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47If and , and , what is ?
Pearson Correlation
Hard
A.
B.
C.
D.
Correct Answer:
Explanation:
Positive rescaling does not change the sign, while multiplication by a negative constant reverses it. Since only is negatively rescaled, the new correlation is .
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48Two equally sized groups each have internally. Group 1 has means and Group 2 has means . What can occur when the groups are pooled?
Pearson Correlation
Hard
A.The pooled correlation must be negative because variances increase
B.The pooled correlation must remain exactly zero
C.The pooled correlation is undefined because group membership is categorical
D.The pooled correlation can be positive because group means covary
Correct Answer: The pooled correlation can be positive because group means covary
Explanation:
Even with zero within-group correlations, separation of the group means along the same direction creates positive between-group covariance and can yield a positive pooled correlation.
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49For five untied pairs, the differences between corresponding ranks are . What is Spearman's rank correlation?
Spearman Correlation
Hard
A.
B.
C.
D.
Correct Answer:
Explanation:
Here . Thus .
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50In a dataset with tied observations, which procedure correctly computes Spearman's correlation?
Spearman Correlation
Hard
A.Assign arbitrary distinct ranks and apply the untied shortcut
B.Remove every tied observation and correlate the remaining ranks
C.Assign minimum ranks and divide the result by the number of ties
D.Assign average ranks and compute Pearson correlation of those ranks
Correct Answer: Assign average ranks and compute Pearson correlation of those ranks
Explanation:
Spearman's coefficient is Pearson's correlation applied to ranks. Tied values receive average ranks; the simple formula requires tie corrections.
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51Suppose for observations having distinct values, with no measurement error. Which pair of correlations is most plausible?
Spearman Correlation
Hard
A. and Spearman's may be below
B. and Pearson's may be below
C. and Spearman's must equal
D. and Pearson's must equal
Correct Answer: and Pearson's may be below
Explanation:
The exponential function is strictly increasing, so the ranks agree perfectly and . The relationship is nonlinear, so Pearson's need not equal .
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52The observed Spearman correlation between and is . Every value is transformed using , where all , and every value using . What is the new Spearman correlation?
Spearman Correlation
Hard
A.
B.
C.
D.
Correct Answer:
Explanation:
is strictly increasing and preserves ranks, whereas is strictly decreasing and reverses ranks. Reversing one rank ordering changes the sign of .
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53The correlation between and is , with and . What is the least-squares slope when regressing on ?
Concepts of Regression
Hard
A.
B.
C.
D.
Correct Answer:
Explanation:
For simple regression, .
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54Let be the slope from regressing on , and the slope from regressing on . If both variables have positive variance, which identity is correct?
Concepts of Regression
Hard
A.
B.
C.
D.
Correct Answer:
Explanation:
The slopes are and . Their product is therefore .
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55A regression of examination score on study time gives a slope of . Which statement is justified by this coefficient alone?
Concepts of Regression
Hard
A.A one-hour difference predicts a -point conditional mean difference
B.Every student gains exactly points after one extra hour
C.Study time explains of the variance in examination score
D.Each additional study hour causes a -point increase
Correct Answer: A one-hour difference predicts a -point conditional mean difference
Explanation:
A regression slope describes the modeled change in the conditional mean of the response. Causation, individual-level changes, and explained variance require additional information or assumptions.
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56A simple regression of on has a positive slope, but after controlling for , the coefficient of becomes negative. Which explanation is most defensible?
Concepts of Regression
Hard
A.The negative coefficient proves that has no association with the outcome
B.The original positive slope must have resulted solely from rounding error
C.The sign change proves that ordinary least squares failed numerically
D.The marginal and conditional associations differ because is related to both variables
Correct Answer: The marginal and conditional associations differ because is related to both variables
Explanation:
A sign reversal can occur through confounding or suppression when is associated with both and . The adjusted coefficient represents a conditional rather than marginal association.
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57In a simple linear regression with an intercept, , , and the estimated slope is . What is the estimated intercept?
Linear Regression Analysis
Hard
A.
B.
C.
D.
Correct Answer:
Explanation:
The fitted least-squares line passes through . Therefore, .
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58A simple linear regression with an intercept has total sum of squares and residual sum of squares . If the estimated slope is negative, what are and the sample correlation ?
Linear Regression Analysis
Hard
A. and
B. and
C. and
D. and
Correct Answer: and
Explanation:
. In simple regression, , and the negative slope gives .
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59A fitted model is . A researcher replaces with and refits the same observations. What fitted equation results?
Linear Regression Analysis
Hard
A.
B.
C.
D.
Correct Answer:
Explanation:
Since , substitution gives . Centering changes the intercept but not the slope or fitted values.
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60An observation in a simple linear regression has an extreme value, a small residual under the fitted model, and the fitted slope changes substantially when it is removed. How should the observation be characterized?
Linear Regression Analysis
Hard
A.It has high leverage and is influential despite its small residual
B.It has low leverage and cannot affect the fitted slope materially
C.It violates normality but cannot alter coefficient estimates
D.It is necessarily an outlier in because its residual is small
Correct Answer: It has high leverage and is influential despite its small residual
Explanation:
An extreme predictor value produces high leverage. Such a point can pull the fitted line toward itself, leaving a small residual while still having a large influence on the estimated slope.
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