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Critical thinking Lurking Variables
Critical thinking: Lurking Variables
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Quiz. 7.
Critical thinking: Lurking Variables Over the past few years, there has been a strong positive correlation between the annual consumption of diet soda drinks and the number of traffic accidents.
Do you think increasing consumption of diet soda drinks causes traffic accidents? Explain.
No; soda is a soft drink which does not cause any type of mental malfunctioning or drunkenness that is likely to cause a driver to lose control or cause traffic accident in any way. In addition to that, there has been no indication that the chemical components of soda cause blindness or blurred vision over long-term usage (Brase & Brase, 2011). In addition to that, the research studies following traffic accident increase have not in any way linked its causes to soda consumption. Therefore, the two variables cannot be said that are lurking variables.
What lurking variables might be causing the increase in one or both of the variables? Explain.
The lurking variables that cause the increase in both of them are different and not linked in any way. The lurking variable that is causing the increase in soda consumption is the low cost of soda and reduction of alcohol consumption. Soda is a soft drink whose price has remained unchanged for a long time as other the price of other soft drinks increase therefore; there has been an increase in preference of soda to other drinks due to the price level. This is one lurking variable that has led to the increase in soda consumption over few years that have past (Brase & Brase, 2011). The second likely lurking variable that has led to the increase in soda consumption is the fact that most people have realized the negative effects of hard drinks such as alcoholic drinks and therefore, they are shifting from consuming alcoholic drinks into drinking soda which is a soft and dietary drink that goes at a lower cost and has no negative effects to the consumer.
The lurking variable that has led to the increase in the rate of traffic accidents over few years that have past is the ignorance of drivers to traffic rules and regulation. The first traffic rule in any given country is that in order for any individual to drive in public, that person must have a driving license. This driving license is only given to an individual on confirming through test after training that that particular individual is aware of all the traffic signs and rules and is able to operate within their requirement. Most people have hid a deaf ear to this and this is the first reason why over the past few years, the traffic accidents have increased. Secondly, the traffic rule provides that any individual should only drive when sober and not when under the influence of any drug. Therefore, it can be concluded that the two variables above; the increase in soda consumption and the increase in traffic accidents are not in any way related.
Quiz. 8.
Critical thinking: Lurking Variables Over the past decades, there has been a strong positive correlation between teacher salaries and prescription drug costs.
Do you think paying teachers more causes prescription drugs to cost more? Explain.
No; Teachers are in no way linked to the drug production and therefore, it would be out of sense for one to insinuate that paying teachers higher salaries causes an increase in the cost of drugs over the past few decades. The rise in the salaries of the teachers is caused by the rise in the general economic state of the globe. On the other hand, the rise in the global economy is the same reason that has led to the increase in the rise in the prices of drugs over the past few decades.
What lurking variables might be causing the increase in one or both of the variables? Explain.
The lurking variable that has caused the increase in both the teachers’ pay and the cost of drugs is the rise in the general global economy. The teachers teach as a career and job and therefore, their earning has to be worthy enabling them to live a life that is worthy a class of people who integrate knowledge in the society (Brase & Brase, 2011). The rise in the economic state has led to the rise in the general prices of both primary and secondary needs which they have to acquire for survival. Therefore, their pays have to be raised in order for them to be able to buy those basic and secondary needs.
On the other hand, the prices of drugs have increased because of the very same reason of rise on the global economy. The cost of the raw materials that are used in the production of drugs have increased in price due to the rice in the general global economy as well as the payment of the medical employees which results in the increased input in the drug production. The firms that deal in drug production are profit oriented and therefore, would in turn increase the prices of the drugs in order to get reasonable returns on capital invested. Therefore, it can be concluded that the two variables are no linked directly in that one has caused an increase of another but they are affected by a similar or single lurking variable which is rise in the global economy.
Quiz. 14.
Health Insurance: Administrative Cost
The following diagram provides a representation of the relationship between administrative cost against the number of employees within a health insurance plan.
The correlation between the average administrative cost and the number of employees as indicated in the diagram can be said to be moderate; with the administrative cost reducing as the number of employees within an insurance health plan increases. The mode of correlation can be termed to be inversely proportional though not in a linear way and this is a negative correlation (Brase & Brase, 2011).
The statistical computations of the tabulated figures from excel are as follows;
x y xy x^2 y^2
3 40 120 9 1600
7 35 245 49 1225
15 30 450 225 900
35 25 875 1225 625
75 18 1350 5625 324
Σ135 148 3040 7133 4674
The computations are accurate as they are in line with the automated calculations in the excel spreadsheets as indicated above. The value of r is 0.77 and it indicates that as the values move from 3 to 75, the value of Y ought to decrease due to the economies of scale associated with minimizing costs for registering or covering a pool of many employees within the health insurance plan.
Quiz. 17.
The diagram below shows a scatter diagram showing the correlation between batting average and home run percentage.
The correlation is positive and high as the scatter dots are aligned close to the trend line or the line of best fit. This has an implication that there is a positive correlation s the line is positively sloping (upwards).
The value of the figures is accurate as indicated from the computations and the value of r is 0.948 meaning that the two variables under consideration are highly correlated.
References:
Brase, C and Brase, C (2011). Understanding Basic Statistics, 6th ed. Cengage Learning.
Critical Thinking essay
Critical Thinking
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Developing a team-based compensation system is vital for a company because it helps in increasing productivity because a good compensation system motivates employees in a company. In developing a team-based compensation system, it is critical to consider various fundamental factors. One such factor to consider is the national culture (Pascarella, 1997). A national culture is vital to consider since it helps in determining whether the compensation system will pay emphasis on individuals in a team or will consider the collective team during compensation; different nations have varied ways of looking at compensation. For example, while some nations take emphasize on individuals, others consider a collective contribution.
Another critical factor to consider is who gets what. In deciding who gets what, teams should be given the responsibility of distributing recognition awards. Besides, project managers should be given rewarding powers from the onset of a team activity (Pascarella, 1997). This is crucial since team members will always be dedicated to their work because they fear giving up a task knowing that there is a reward before them. By making the project manager as the person who have rewarding powers will eliminate confusion on who to reward since every team member will need to be rewarded.
In addition, recognition of team output should be at the core of the compensation system. Both non-monetary and monetary recognition is critical since different team members have varied ways of appreciating their efforts. Furthermore, it is critical to consider rewarding both individuals in a team and the entire team (Pascarella, 1997). This motivates team members to continue showing their efforts in a company since they feel that their efforts have been appreciated. The team spirit is also maintained through rewarding a team for their efforts.
References
Pascarella, P. (1997, February). “Compensating Teams”, Across the Board.
Should we revoke drivers licenses for students who drop out of school or earn low grades
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Should we revoke driver’s licenses for students who drop out of school or earn low grades?
The country is currently facing a number of situations that determine the growth and sustainability of the economy. One of the issues that have played a significant role in influencing the rate of development is the increase in college dropouts. Education is essential for the success of any economy. The 2008 recession affected the dynamics of the job market due to the loss of a vast number of jobs. The living standards of the entire country dropped making families cut down on their annual expenses. These statistics alone display the economic situation Americans are experiencing to date. The cost of living continues to rise which in turn, places pressure on authorities to turn the situation around. One of the ways that this can happen is by encouraging more high school students to acquire a college education (Elliot, Andrew and Dweck, p. 251).
College is a significant aspect of any individual’s life. The college experience plays a vital role in teen’s ideologies, growth, confidence, maturity, friendships and most of all career choices. This is therefore an opportunity that all children should have the privilege of experiencing. Another essential issue regarding the outcome of college is the extra edge a student’s has over their peers when they enter the job market. Having a college degree is an ideal choice in that it displays responsibility, knowledge and drive when looking for employment. A college degree gives a student higher chances of getting a white collar job as opposed to a minimum wage job. This as a result exposes an individual to better living standards such as a better welfare, secure living conditions and a reliable healthcare plan.
A look at the results of a having a college education showcase the merits that come with the trade. This comes with a big sacrifies in terms of time, finance and hard work. Most high school graduates choose to take the shorter route by getting a job in an alternative place that does not require a college education. Some of them turn out to be considerably successful owing to their determination and street smart qualities. The majority however become part of the population who live on minimum wage and highly depend on the government for welfare.
The government intends to reduce these statistics by forcing high school students to take on a college education. This has proved to be unsuccessful in that students who remain in school end up with low grades. The low grades are not ideal for the student in that they risk failing their courses and not graduating with the rest of their classmates. One of the proposed solutions is revoking of drivers licenses from students who choose to forego college or earn low grades while in college (Newman and Newman, p. 314).
The driver’s license is an essential accomplishment in the life of a teenager. Students live for this time so that they can gain their first form of independence. Owning a license allows a teenager to take on more responsibilities that improve their status in their social circle. Having a license is thus vital for the reputation of any teenager. Taking away their license privileges takes all these opportunities away making them vulnerable to the loss of their freedom. As a student who places high emphasis on the vitality of a college degree, I am in support of this proposed law. The law proves to be controversial due to the challenges people face when attempting to get a college education. It also seeks to infringe on the rights and privileges of students in that it creates an imbalance that can be compared to segregation (Elliot, Andrew and Dweck, p. 231).
The reason that I am in support of the suggested law is that educating the society is one of the main solutions for eradicating the high rates of poverty, unemployment, insecurity and inequality that the country continues to face. When a child misbehaves, a parent is inclined to change their environment so as to change their reaction or approach to a certain situation. This as a result gives rise to a different consequence that should be positive to the life of the child in the end. A close look at the stated advantages of owning a drivers license displays the significance of the item to a teenager. Taking away the drivers license, through drastic will force a considerable number of students to work towards meeting these requirements so as to have access to this independence. This measure is thus the only form of action that can improve the way students perceive school and the advantages that they get. Despite my support of this notion, the government should take responsibility by financing a majority of the college expenses so as to cater for less fortunate families. This will take away the excuse of the lack of financial capabilities that parents present as a barrier to higher education (Newman and Newman, p.189).
In conclusion, it is difficult to imagine the infringement of the rights of an individual. This however applies in some special circumstances when the end result brings forth positive to the community as a whole. I am thus in support of the proposed law making me an advocate for the future success of the country.
Works cited
Elliot, Andrew J, and Carol S. Dweck. Handbook of Competence and Motivation. New York: Guilford Press, 2007. Print.
Newman, Barbara M, and Philip R. Newman. Development Through Life: A Psychosocial Approach. Belmont, Calif: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning, 2012. Print.