Question

Suppose researchers test 100 college students, whose ages range from 18 to 23. They also test 100 people at a nearby community center for older adults, whose ages range from 70 to 75. The participants are instructed to read a series of short essays and answer questions on them. The average score is 72% correct for the elderly people and 85% correct for the college students. Which of the following four conclusions would you be most likely to choose?
a. You would conclude that the younger people have better memory than the older people.
b. You would conclude that the differences in the average scores can be traced to differences in the working memory of the two groups.
c. You would recommend that the same study should be repeated with larger groups of participants.
d. You would recommend that the study should be repeated, matching the two groups in terms of variables such as education and health.

Answer 1

Answer:

b. You would conclude that the differences in the average scores can be traced to differences in the working memory of the two groups.

Step-by-step explanation:

Though the average scores of the two sets could have lead to various conditions, but retentive ability deminishes with respect to an increase in age. With respect to the age of the elderly people involved, it is expected that some of them would not be able to retain information for a long period of time. Thus, their average score is 72%.

The college students' are younger, so it is expected that they should be able to retain more information. That ability is one of the reasons why their average score is 85%.

It can be concluded from the research that the differences in the average scores is probably due to the working memory of the two groups.