Exam 11: Performance Evaluation Revisited: a Balanced Approach

Evaluate the following argument in accordance with the criteria discussed in the text. "Of course he was outdoors Wednesday, Watson. That's the only day there has been rain, and he had a good bit of dried mud on the heels of his boots."

Evaluate the following generalization(s), identifying sample, population, attribute of interest, and the extent to which the claims involved are knowable. Consider carefully the size and diversification of the sample and the extent to which the population differs or may differ from the sample; remember, what's important is that the sample be representative. Stortz has heard from his friends that the folks in North Carolina are pretty friendly, so he looks forward to going through it on his bike trip to Florida.

Analyze the following study according to the criteria set by your instructor: Professor Richard Kennedy of Mosor University believed that there was a link between the amount of coffee people consumed and their reaction time. 100 regular coffee drinkers between the ages 18-35 were studied for this experiment. The participants were instructed to not consume any coffee for 2 weeks prior to the experiment. For the experiment, they were required to press a buzzer when a light in front of them came on. The time they took to press the buzzer after the light came on was considered their reaction time. Their reaction time for 10 trials were measured. The experiment was repeated after the participants consumed coffee. The researchers found that people were more likely to react twice as fast after drinking coffee than before. However, researchers also found that after 2 cups of coffee, there was an inverse relationship between the participants' reaction time and the amount of coffee they consumed. Professor Kennedy concluded that moderate consumption of coffee would be beneficial to people. [This is fictitious experiment.]