Someone comparing many countries finds a negative correlation between the status of women and the average happiness of people in the country.Which of the following can we conclude?
A)Over decades, women's status has been improving, and so has happiness, on average.
B)Over decades, women's status has been improving, but happiness has not.
C)The status of women has no consistent relationship to people's happiness.
D)Where women have low status, people tend to be less happy.

Question

Someone comparing many countries finds a negative correlation between the status of women and the average happiness of people in the country.Which of the following can we conclude?​
A)Over decades, women's status has been improving, and so has happiness, on average.
B)​Over decades, women's status has been improving, but happiness has not.
C)​The status of women has no consistent relationship to people's happiness.
D)​Where women have low status, people tend to be less happy.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The negative correlation between the status of women and the average happiness of people in the country implies that as the status of women decreases, people tend to be less happy. Therefore, option D is the best choice. Options A and B are not supported by the information given as the correlation is negative, so the improvement in women's status would not necessarily lead to an increase in average happiness. Option C is also not supported as the negative correlation indicates that there is a consistent relationship between the status of women and people's happiness, albeit a negative one.

Someone Comparing Many Countries Finds a Negative Correlation Between the Status