Suppose you are examining the relationship between support for gun control laws and religious fundamentalism. You believe that region might be an important antecedent variable. You have the following (hypothetical) results (in percentages) for a national sample. Interpret the effects of the antecedent variable. (The results are in the following table.)
Attitudes Toward Gun Control Laws By Degree of Religious
Fundamentalism By Region
(Hypothetical Results)
Region
Low Fundamentalism
Medium Fundamentalism
High Fundamentalism
Northeast
For
67%
65%
66%
Against
33%
35%
34%
Midwest
For
67%
65%
66%
Against
33%
35%
34%
South
For
75%
60%
40%
Against
25%
40%
60%
West
For
25%
40%
60%
Against
75%
60%
40%
What will be an ideal response?
Answer: The antecedent variable, region, does substantially affect the relationship between support for gun control and religious fundamentalism. This is indicated by the fact that there are three different patterns between support for gun control and religious fundamentalism depending upon the region. First, the Northeast and the Midwest share the same pattern: no relationship between support for gun control and religious fundamentalism. Second, in the South, there is a strong, negative relationship between support for gun control and religious fundamentalism (those who are more religiously fundamentalist are less supportive of gun control). Third, in the West, there is a strong, positive relationship between support for gun control and religious fundamentalism (those who are more religiously fundamentalist are more supportive of gun control). Thus, region has a substantial impact on the relationship between support for gun control and religious fundamentalism.
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