Correlations: Ice Cream and Personality. The answers should be at least two paragraphs in length each and with reference to the chapter.

The textbook (see "Psychological Science" chapter 2) explains briefly what a correlation is, how surveys contribute to research, and some of the dangers to watch out for.

First look in the chapter on Psychological Science (chapter 2, section 2.2), and review the section on Correlational Research: Seeking Relationships Among Variables (or page 29 in this chapter). This will give you more information about the nature of correlations and why we have to be careful with them.

Then, take a look at the following URLs:

http://www.shadowspace.com/psi/icecream.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/mind/articles/personalityandindividuality/flavourandpersonality.shtml

Next, answer the following questions:

1) First, tell us what a correlation is (you may define this according to your textbook, but be sure to put this information in quotes and cite the chapter and page number. )

2) Tell us a little about Dr. Hirsch's research. What did he do? What did he find? Why might Dr. Hirsch's research be important?

3) Based on what you know about correlations, what problems do you see with Dr. Hirsch's research?

4) Do the websites provide a basis for asserting that your personality determines your ice cream preference?