You may have been in a wine store and wondered just how useful those posted wine ratings are. (They are usually rated on a scale from 50 to 100, with 100 being the top score.) After all, aren’t ratings subjective? Corsi and Ashenfelter (2001) studied whether wine experts are consistent. Knowing that the weather is the best predictor of price, the researchers wondered how well weather predicted experts’ ratings. The variables used for weather included temperature and rainfall, and the variable used for wine experts’ ratings was the number they assigned to each wine. 

a. Name one independent variable. What type of variable is it? Is it discrete or continuous? 

b. Name the dependent variable. What type of variable is it? Is it discrete or continuous? 

c. How does this study reflect the concept of reliability? 

d. Let’s say that you frequently drink wine that has been rated highly by Robert Parker, one of this study’s wine experts. His ratings were determined to be reliable, and you find that you usually agree with Parker. How does this observation reflect the concept of validity?