EXERCISES AND PROJECTS

Study the following bivariate and partial tables.

In the space below, interpret the effects of education on the original relationship between race and voter turnout.

Determine the partial correlation between X and Y with z held constant (controlled), then the partial correlation between Y and z with X held constant, using the following zero-order bivariate correlations: r_xy = .40, r_xz = .30, r_zy = .10
1. r_xy.z = _____________________________________________________________________________
2. r_yz.x = _____________________________________________________________________________

Write a set of equations in general form to describe the following causal systems, assuming that X₁ is the independent variable, X₂ and X₃ are intervening variables, and X₄ is the dependent variable.

Model 1:
Model 2:

Use the following trivariate table to determine whether there is a relationship between religion and attitudes toward premarital sex. If there is a relationship, determine if and how the third variable, age, affects this relationship. Note that you will first have to collapse the table into a bivariate table to discover the relationship between religion and attitudes toward premarital sex. Then you can use the trivariate table to examine the effects of the third variable.