Help! Psychology question...............!?

Question

If your level of test anxiety goes down as your time spent studying for the exam goes up, would you say these events are positively or negatively correlated? Explain your reasoning.

Answer 1

Good grief!!  You think too much!!  It's the time of day that you spend studying for the exam that counts!!!  I found a fail proof way--I studied normally, and the night before the exam, I went through all the material.  Then set the alarm for about 2  or 3 am.  I slept well; then awoke and in a semi sleep state, went over all the material again.  Then promptly went back to sleep..  I awoke at the normal time; rushed to school, and regurgitated the answers without think of them!!

Of course, this was when testing never went above Piaget's levels of Knowledge, and never went into analysis etc.  But whatever the test, try this method, as in a semi-sleep state, anxiety is at it's lowest level!!!

Answer 2

Hi, I'm guessing this is for Psych homework? :)

According to my psychology glossary, a positive correlation exists when one variable increases/decreases and another does the likewise. A negative correlation exists when one variable increases and another decreases (or vice versa). In summary:

Increase - Increase = Positive

Decrease - Decrease = Positive

Increase - Decrease = Negative

Decrease - Increase = Negative

Apply this to your correlation...

Test anxiety decreases - Study time increases = Negative correlation

Hope this helps!

Answer 3

That would be a positive correlation. It proves that the time spent studying is alleviating your text anxiety. It shows there is a direct link or correlation between the two things.

Answer 4

When your taking the test.  Because most of the time your too busy doing the test to stress about it, and your using what you studied for the exam.  After the test your screwed b/c then there is nothing you can do and your stressing about the if you did ok or not.  Good luck

Answer 5

Positive correlations can be expressed by "the more of this, the more of that."

Negative correlations, consequently, can be expressed by "the more of this, the less of that."

In your case, you have: "THE MORE time I spend on studying for the exam, THE LESS anxious I am." therefore shows a negative correlation.

To make it visible, draw a diagram. On the Y axis, note down "time spent on studying"; on the X axis, note down "level of anxiety". You'll see (if you imagine values to actually put into this) that the further you go along the Y axis (the more time you spend studying) the more the graph will "fall" (the less anxious you are). The more, the less = negative correlation.

Don't confuse the everyday-language use of "positive" meaning "good" and "negative" meaning "bad" with the same terms used in statistical analysis! Here, "positive" and "negative" are merely descriptive terms. :)