Because students who took a calculus course do better in biology than students who did not take calculus,a researcher concludes that understanding calculus is helpful for understanding biology.What is wrong with this study?
A)Calculus is a more difficult subject than biology.
B)Biology is a more difficult subject than calculus.
C)The research had too many independent variables.
D)Students were not randomly assigned to groups.

Question

Because students who took a calculus course do better in biology than students who did not take calculus,a researcher concludes that understanding calculus is helpful for understanding biology.What is wrong with this study?​
A)Calculus is a more difficult subject than biology.
B)​Biology is a more difficult subject than calculus.
C)​The research had too many independent variables.
D)​Students were not randomly assigned to groups.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The researcher concluded that understanding calculus is helpful for understanding biology based on a non-random assignment of students to groups (those who took calculus versus those who did not). This means there may be other factors (such as motivation, background knowledge, etc.) that could explain the difference in performance. Therefore, the researcher cannot make a causal claim that understanding calculus leads to better understanding of biology.

Because Students Who Took a Calculus Course Do Better in Biology