Question

a researcher is trying to find out if there is a correlation between the u.s. economy and the number of hours spent on social media. the researcher determines that the correlation coefficient is r = 1.26. what does this value mean? a the researcher made an error because −1 ≤ r ≤ 1. b when the u.s. economy is good, people spend more time on social media. c when the u.s. economy is poor, people spend more time on social media. d when the u.s. economy is good, people spend less time on social media.

Explanation:

The correlation coefficient \( r \) has a range of \(-1 \leq r \leq 1\). A value of \( r = 1.26 \) is outside this valid range, which means the researcher made an error in calculating or reporting the correlation coefficient. Options B, C, and D assume a valid correlation coefficient and interpret its direction, but since \( r = 1.26 \) is invalid, those interpretations are incorrect.

Answer:

A. The researcher made an error because \(-1 \leq r \leq 1\).