Research Methodology

2023
A researcher is interested in the relationship between years of education and salary.
1) Enter the data into JAMOVI.

In Jamovi, “Years of education” and “Salary” are numeric variables. The variable "Years of Education" is a
continuous variable, as it represents the number of years of education an individual has received, which can take on
any numerical value within a range. The variable "Salary" is also a continuous variable, as it represents the amount
of money earned by an individual, which can take on any numerical value within a range.

2) Identify a directional hypothesis about the relationship between the variables.

The hypothesis for the variable “Years of education” and “Salary” would be:

Years of education of an individual are positively related to the salary.

3) Using JAMOVI, calculate a Pearson’s r for these data. If Pearson’s r is statistically significant, run a
regression analysis in JAMOVI to predict starting salary.

The main question we are asking here is whether the years of education affect the salary of the individual. The null
hypothesis would state that there is no relationship between the two variables. However, the alternative hypothesis
would state that there is a relationship between the years of education and salary.
Table 1. Correlation Matrix

M SD 1 2

1. Years of Education 16.4 4.96 -

2. Salary 31850 34000 0.526* -

Note. * p < .05, ** p < .01, *** p < .001

Results of the correlation analysis show that we reject the null hypothesis and conclude that there is a strong
relationship (r=.53) between years of education and the salary of an individual.

4) Answer the following based on the output:

i) Using the output, write out the regression equation by filling in the appropriate values for a and b:
Y′ = bX + a.

This output is from a linear regression model that examines the relationship between salary and years of education
using a sample of 20 observations. The regression equation for predicting salary (Y) from years of education (X) can
be written as:

Salary = 892 * (YearsOfEducation) + 17270

The coefficient for Years of Education is 891.759, which means that on average, for each additional year of
education, the expected salary increases by $892. The coefficient is statistically significant at the 5% level since the
p-value is less than 0.05. The intercept, labeled as the constant, is 17270, which means that the expected salary for
someone with zero years of education is $17,270.

ii) Using this regression equation, what would the predicted value salary be if someone had 12 years of
education?
Using the regression equation above, the value of 12 for years of education can be substituted to obtain the predicted
salary for someone with 12 years of education:
Salary = 892 * (12) + 17270 = 10704 + 17270 = 27974
Therefore, the predicted salary for someone with 12 years of education would be approximately $27,900.

iii) What would the predicted salary be if someone had 22 years of education?
Salary = 892 * (22) + 17270 = 19624 + 17270 = 36894
Therefore, the predicted salary for someone with 22 years of education would be approximately $36,800.

iv) What percentage of the variability in salary is accounted for by knowing its relationship with years of
education?
The R-squared value is 0.276, which means that 27.6% of the variation in salary is explained by the linear
relationship with years of education.

5) Report the results as you would in the Results section. Use correct APA format--including double spacing
and italicizing statistical notations such as r and p.
The dataset comprised salary and years of education information for 20 individuals. Descriptive statistics revealed a

broad range of salaries within the dataset, with a minimum salary of $18,000 and a maximum of $45,000. The mean

and median salaries were $31,850 and $34,000, respectively. The minimum number of years of education is 10 and

the maximum is 27, with a median of 14.5 and a mean of 16.35. The descriptive summary suggests that years of

education could be a crucial predictor of salary. The Pearson correlation analysis conducted on the dataset showed a

significant positive correlation between salary and years of education (r = 0.53, p < .05), indicating that an increase

in years of education was associated with a rise in salary. This correlation supported the findings of the simple linear

regression analysis, suggesting a significant positive relationship between the two variables in this dataset.

The linear regression analysis revealed that years of education were a significant predictor of salary, with each

additional year of education resulting in an expected increase in salary of $892 (β = 892, t(18) = 2.622, p < .05). The
intercept was also statistically significant, indicating that an individual with zero years of education had an expected

salary of $17,270 (t(18) = 2.978, p < .01). The model accounted for 27.6% of the variance in salary (R² = .276). It is

essential to note that the results are based on a simple model with only one independent variable, and other factors

may also be relevant in predicting salary.

6) Discuss/interpret your findings as you would in a Discussion section (include information on the strength
of the relationship).
Our hypothesis is that individuals with higher years of education will have a higher salary than those with lower

levels of education. The simple linear regression analysis showed a significant relationship between years of

education and salary, with each additional year of education associated with an increase in salary of $892. This

suggests that individuals with higher levels of education are likely to earn more than those with lower levels of

education. The intercept was also significant, indicating that even those with no years of education could still expect

to earn a certain amount. The R-squared value of the regression model indicates that years of education can account

for 27.6% of the variability in salary. While this suggests that years of education is an important predictor of salary,

it is important to consider that other factors may also influence salary.

Overall, our findings highlight the importance of education in predicting salary. Future research should aim to

explore other potential predictors of salary and their complex interplay. Nevertheless, the current analyses

underscore the benefits of investing in education and highlight the potential for higher education to lead to a better

overall standard of living.