Using data from 100 hospitals, a correlation of r = 0.78 is found between the size of a hospital (measured in number of beds) and the average length of patient stays (measured in days). Which of the following is true? There is a pretty strong positive linear correlation between number of beds and length of hospital stay. Increasing hospital size must be the cause of longer patient stays. “Severity of illness” is a possible lurking variable that is behind this relationship.
Question
Using data from 100 hospitals, a correlation of r = 0.78 is found between the size of a hospital (measured in number of beds) and the average length of patient stays (measured in days). Which of the following is true? There is a pretty strong positive linear correlation between number of beds and length of hospital stay. Increasing hospital size must be the cause of longer patient stays. “Severity of illness” is a possible lurking variable that is behind this relationship.
Solution
Based on the given information, it is true that there is a pretty strong positive linear correlation between the number of beds in a hospital and the average length of patient stays. The correlation coefficient of r = 0.78 indicates a relatively strong positive relationship between these two variables.
However, it is important to note that correlation does not imply causation. Therefore, we cannot conclude that increasing hospital size is the cause of longer patient stays based solely on this correlation. There may be other factors or variables at play that contribute to the relationship between hospital size and patient stay length.
One possible lurking variable that could be behind this relationship is the severity of illness. It is possible that larger hospitals tend to treat more severe cases, which would naturally result in longer patient stays. Without further investigation and controlling for other variables, it is difficult to determine the exact cause and effect relationship between hospital size and patient stay length.
Similar Questions
A correlation of r = 0.85 is found between weekly sales of firewood and cough drops over a 1-year period. Which of the following is a correct interpretation of this correlation value? There is a pretty strong positive linear relationship between sales of firewood and cough drops. Temperature is a possible lurking variable that is behind this relationship. Fire must be the cause of coughing.
Suppose the correlation coefficient between the number of professional sports teams in a city and the number of hospitals is 0.72. Which statement must be true?A.As the number of sports teams increases, the number of hospitals tends to increase.B.Having more sports teams causes the number of hospitals to increase because athletes often get injured.C.As the number of sports teams increases, the number of hospitals tends to decrease.D.Having more hospitals causes the number of sports teams to increase because teams need to be close to good medical care.
Suppose the correlation coefficient between a baby’s weight and the number of coffee shops in Plumville is 0.87. Which statement must be true?A.As the baby gains weight, the number of coffee shops tends to decrease.B.The baby’s weight gain causes people to open more coffee shops.C.As the baby gains weight, the number of coffee shops tends to increase.D.Having more coffee shops around causes the baby to gain weight.SUBMITarrow_backPREVIOUS
A dataset includes two variables for a city in the past 40 years: the number of high school graduates and the consumption of pizzas each year. You find that the two variables are positively correlated.Which of the following statement best describes such a correlation?i)High school graduates love eating pizzas.ii)If we increase the number of high school graduates, we would expect an increase in the pizza consumption.iii)As there might be an increase in the general population of the city, the number of high school graduates appears to be positively correlated with the pizza consumption. iv)Pizza stores should target high schools to increase their revenue. Question 8Answera.iiib.iic.i, ii and ivd.i and iie.None of the listed statements
Suppose the correlation coefficient between a baby’s weight and the number of coffee shops in Plumville is 0.87. Which statement must be true?A.As the baby gains weight, the number of coffee shops tends to increase.B.As the baby gains weight, the number of coffee shops tends to decrease.C.The baby’s weight gain causes people to open more coffee shops.D.Having more coffee shops around causes the baby to gain weig
Upgrade your grade with Knowee
Get personalized homework help. Review tough concepts in more detail, or go deeper into your topic by exploring other relevant questions.