Question

The article "Tots' TV-Watching May Spur Attention Problems" (San Luis Obispo Tribune, April 4, 2004) describes a study that appeared in the journal Pediatrics. In this study, researchers looked at records of 2,500 children who were participating in a long-term health study. For each child, they determined if the child had attention disorders at age 7 and the number of hours of television the child watched at age 3 . They hoped to use the resulting data to learn about how these variables might be related.

Short answer

After analyzing the data, if a trend is observed showing that kids who watched more TV are more likely to have attention disorders, this suggests a correlation. A statistical test can quantify this correlation. However, this does not conclusively prove causation - that watching TV directly causes attention disorders.

Step-by-step solution

Understanding the Variables

The first step should be to identify and understand the two variables involved in the study. These are a) the number of hours of TV watched by the child at age 3, and b) whether the child had attention disorders at age 7.

Analyzing the Data

Next, organize the data for each child, taking note of the times spent watching TV and the presence or absence of attention disorders. A statistical tool like a scatter plot could be used to visually present the data. On the scatter plot, one could represent the hours of TV watched on the x-axis, and whether the child had attention disorders on the y-axis (maybe using '1' for 'yes' and '0' for 'no' or 'presence' vs 'absence').

Finding Correlations

Once the scatter plot is made, look for any trends or patterns in the distribution of data points. If there's a noticeable trend - for example, if kids who watched more TV are more likely to have attention disorders - that could suggest a correlation. Statistical tests such as Pearson's correlation or Spearman's rank correlation may be applied to quantitatively determine the strength and direction of any correlation.

Interpreting Results

Finally, based on observed patterns and statistical analyses, conclusions can be drawn about the relationship between the variables. Remember that correlation does not imply causation, so even a strong correlation would not conclusively prove that watching TV causes attention disorders. Other factors might also be at play.