A researcher collected data from 74 people about the number of fast–food meals e

Question

A researcher collected data from 74 people about the number of fast–food meals eaten per week and length of commute to work in miles. Imagine the correlation was positive at 0.32. Two participants in the sample reported eating every meal out each week, totaling 21 meals each, and the shortest commute of 0.3 miles. If those two outliers were removed from the data, what might be a likely effect?

The correlation will reverse in direction.

The sign of the correlation will change to –0.32.

The correlation could get stronger, increasing to greater than 0.32.

The correlation would weaken to nearly zero.

Explanation / Answer

Usually, outliers force the correlation to be closer to either -1 or 1 (1 in this case, as r = 0.32).

Hence, it will be closer to 0 once the outliers are removed, so

OPTION D: The correlation would weaken to nearly zero. [ANSWER]

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