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Chapter 2: Problem 75

The article "Tots' TV-Watching May Spur Attention Problems" (San Luis Obispo Tribune, April 5. 2004) describes a study that appeared in the journal Pediatrics. In this study, researchers looked at records of 2500 children who were participating in a long-term health study. They found that \(10 \%\) of these children had attention disorders at age 7 and that hours of television watched at age 1 and age 3 was associated with an increased risk of having an attention disorder at age 7 . a. Is the study described an observational study or an experiment? b. Give an example of a potentially confounding variable that would make it unwise to draw the conclusion that hours of television watched at a young age is the cause of the increased risk of attention disorder.

Short Answer

Expert verified
a. The study described in the exercise is an observational study. b. An example of a potentially confounding variable in this study is the children's dietary habits.

Step by step solution

01

Defining an observational study and an experiment

An observational study is a type of study in which individuals are observed or certain outcomes are measured without any attempt to affect the outcome (i.e., no experimental intervention). An experiment, however, is a study in which the researchers deliberately change something (the variables) to observe what happens.
02

Analyzing the study

Given the description of the study, where researchers looked at records of 2500 children and found a correlation between hours of television watched and attention disorders, there is no mention of any experimental intervention. Hence, this study can be classified as an observational study.
03

Defining a confounding variable

A confounding variable is an extra variable in a study that wasn't accounted for. They can lead to incorrect conclusions if not considered during the study. They are variables that influence both the dependent variable and independent variable, which can cause a false correlation.
04

Identifying a potential confounding variable in the study

In this context, a potential confounding variable could be the children鈥檚 dietary habits. Diets high in sugar and caffeine, for example, could lead to attention disorders. These dietary factors could also be related to the children's television-watching habits, as children who watch more television might consume more advertisements for unhealthy food and thus have poorer dietary habits. Thus, diet is a potential confounding variable. If ignored, it could lead one to falsely believe that watching television at a young age alone is causing attention disorders, whereas it could be a combination of television and diet.

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Confounding Variable
In research, a confounding variable is an outside influence that changes the effect of a dependent and independent variable. This can lead to a misleading association between the variables being studied. Imagine researchers trying to determine if studying with music leads to better test scores among high school students. If they don't account for students' prior knowledge, the study might falsely attribute success to music rather than to students' baseline understanding of the material.

In the case of the observational study on children's TV-watching and attention problems, identifying possible confounding variables is crucial. For instance, parents' education level could be a confounding variable. More educated parents may limit TV time and also engage more in activities that enhance attention-span, falsely inflating the link between TV-watching and attention disorders.
Attention Disorders
Attention disorders, such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), affect a person's ability to focus and control impulsive behaviors. The symptoms often arise in early childhood, which is why the study on TV-watching habits is significant. Attention disorders can have a profound effect on academic performance, social interactions, and overall quality of life.

The claim that early TV exposure might increase the risk of such disorders must be approached with caution, as myriad factors come into play. Genetics, environment, and social interactions all work together to influence the development of attention disorders. A robust study would need to segregate the impact of TV from these other factors to make a compelling case.
Long-Term Health Study
A long-term health study is research conducted over several years to uncover patterns, effects, and correlations within health-related factors. They are invaluable in understanding chronic conditions, lifespan development, and the long-term effects of various lifestyle choices.

The highlighted study spanning observations from age 1 to 7 demonstrates the longitudinal approach of such research, allowing for the assessment of developmental trajectories and how early life exposures, like TV-watching, might map onto later behavior patterns such as attention disorders. However, interpretation of findings from long-term health studies must account for changes in environmental contexts and personal habits over time, which includes staying vigilant about confounding factors that might skew the results.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Consider the following graphical display that appeared in the New York Times: Based on the data summarized in the graph, we can see that students who have a high school GPA or 3.5 or higher and a combined SAT score of over 1200 have an \(89 \%\) graduation rate when they attend a "most selective" college, but only a \(59 \%\) graduation rate when they attend a "least selective" college. Give an example of a potential confounding variable that might explain why the following statement is not reasonable: If all the students that have a GPA of 3.5 or higher and a combined SAT score of 1200 or higher and that were admitted to a "least selective" college were moved to a "most selective" college, the graduation rate for these students would be approximately \(89 \%\)

According to the article "Effect of Preparation Methods on Total Fat Content, Moisture Content, and Sensory Characteristics of Breaded Chicken Nuggets and Beef Steak Fingers" (Family and Consumer Sciences Research journal \(11999 \mathrm{~J}: 18-27),\) sensory tests were conducted using 40 college student volunteers at Texas Women's University. Give three reasons, apart from the relatively small sample size, why this sample may not be ideal as the basis for generalizing to the population of all college students.

A study of more than 50,000 U.S. nurses found that those who drank just one soda or fruit punch a day tended to gain much more weight and had an \(80 \%\) increased risk in developing diabetes compared to those who drank less than one a month. (The Washington Post, August 25,2004 ). "The message is clear.... Anyone who cares about their health or the health of their family would not consume these beverages," said Walter Willett of the Harvard School of Public Health, who helped conduct the study. The sugar and beverage industries said that the study was fundamentally flawed. "These allegations are inflammatory. Women who drink a lot of soda may simply have generally unhealthy lifestyles," said Richard Adamson of the American Beverage Association. a. Do you think that the study described was an observational study or an experiment? b. Is it reasonable to conclude that drinking soda or fruit punch causes the observed increased risk of diabetes? Why or why not?

A study of college students showed a temporary gain of up to 9 IQ points after listening to a Mozart piano sonata. This conclusion, dubbed the Mozart effect, has since been criticized by a number of researchers who have been unable to confirm the result in similar studies. Suppose that you wanted to see whether there is a Mozart effect for students at your school. a. Describe how you might design an experiment for this purpose. b. Does your experimental design include direct control of any extraneous variables? Explain. c. Does your experimental design use blocking? Explain why you did or did not include blocking in your design. d. What role does random assignment play in your design?

As part of a curriculum review, the psychology department would like to select a simple random sample of 20 of last year's 140 graduates to obtain information on how graduates perceived the value of the curriculum. Describe two different methods that might be used to select the sample.
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