Question

question 7
2 pts
a researcher is interested in determining if students in a calculus course who naturally sit near the front of a lecture hall perform better on a final exam than students who naturally sit near the back of the lecture hall. a total of 180 students take part in this study, and their final exam scores are compared based on where they typically sit. based on this information, which one of the following statements is correct?
the response variable is the seating location in the lecture hall
because the sample size is less than 200, we should not generalize the results of this study beyond the sample.
none of the other answer options is a correct statement about this study.
the explanatory variable is the final exam score received by the student.
this is an example of an observational study.

Explanation:

1. The response variable is the final - exam score as it is what is being measured and affected by another variable. The seating location is the explanatory variable, so the first and fourth options are incorrect.
2. There is no strict rule that a sample size less than 200 cannot be generalized. Generalization depends on many factors like sampling method, not just sample size, so the second option is incorrect.
3. In this study, the researcher is just observing the natural seating positions and comparing scores, not manipulating any variables, which makes it an observational study.

Answer:

This is an example of an observational study.