RESEARCH STUDY: Dr. Finkel is a social psychologist who stud…
RESEARCH STUDY: Dr. Finkel is a social psychologist who studies romantic relationships. Several researchers have found that there is a link between income and marital satisfaction (e.g., Dakin & Wampler, 2012). Dr. Finkel is curious as to whether there is a causal link between the two variables, such that having a higher income causes higher levels of marital satisfaction. He is confident that he cannot reasonably or ethically manipulate people’s income level, so he decides to use a multivariate design. He is also curious as to whether there is a causal link between these two variables or if two other variables (number of arguments and life satisfaction) can explain the relationship. He measures these variables in a sample of 124 married couples recruited from a local community center. Below are his results: PLEASE NUMBER YOUR RESPONSES 1-5 BELOW. Which of these variables serve as the criterion variable in Dr. Finkel’s study? According to the results in the table, what is the strongest predictor of the criterion? Describe the results of the strongest predictor in a complete sentence. Be as specific as possible. How are standardized betas different from bivariate correlation (r)? A friend looks at the data from this study and says, “The only reason the income is associated with marital satisfaction is life satisfaction —people more satisfied with life probably make more money, and people more satisfied with life are probably also more satisfied with their marriages. What do you say back to your friend?