Chapter 4: Q 1.4. (page 233)
Does eating dinner with their families improve students鈥 academic performance? According to an ABC News article, 鈥淭eenagers who eat with their families at least five times a week are more likely to get better grades in
school.鈥19 This finding was based on a sample survey conducted by researchers at Columbia University.
Explain clearly why such a study cannot establish a cause-and-effect
relationship. Suggest a lurking variable that may be confounded
with whether families eat dinner together.
Short Answer
It impossible to precisely identify causative and effective relationships in such a sample.