Deck 8: Evaluating and Interpreting Information

Question 1

Anecdotal evidence is always sufficient support for a claim.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Evaluating sources involves

A) identifying a study's sponsor.
B) ignoring corroborating sources.
C) assessing the reputation of a printed source.
D) determining the quality of Web sources.
E) checking the publication date.

Answer 2

ignoring corroborating sources.

Question 3

Which of the following is an example of faulty statistical analysis?

A) undefined average
B) sanitized statistics
C) bogus ranking
D) biased meta-analysis
E) All of these answers are correct.

Answer 3

All of these answers are correct.

Question 4

The margin of is a range within which the true value falls.

Question 5

The numerical measure of the strength of the relationship between variables is called

A) causation.
B) a confounding factor.
C) correlation.
D) a meta-analysis.
E) an interpretation.

Question 6

Sample size is not important to the strength of a percentage.

Question 7

Correlation implies causation.

Question 8

Which of the following statements is most accurate?

A) Even a complex effect has only one cause.
B) Faulty statistical reasoning rarely produces numbers that are deceptive or inaccurate.
C) Evidence that contradicts your own assumptions should be ignored.
D) Terminology used to report statistics often hides their real meaning.
E) None of these statements are accurate.

Question 9

When we come to a conclusion about what we don't know by reasoning from what we do know, we make

A) an inference.
B) a claim.
C) an analysis.
D) an average.
E) a fallacy.

Question 10

The purpose of statistical analysis is to sanitize the numbers we collect.

Question 11

Reliable research produces results that can be replicated.

Question 12

To check your evidence for weaknesses, do all of the following except

A) identify misleading terminology.
B) accept all generalizations.
C) assess studies for limitations.
D) scrutinize all statistical analyses.
E) examine claims of causation closely.

Question 13

If the evidence follows your belief, you are ; if your belief follows the evidence, you are .

Question 14

All types of research studies have common flaws.

Question 15

evidence includes facts and statistics; evidence includes speculations and data obtained unscientifically.

Question 16

Computer analyses always produce unbiased results.

Question 17

Assumptions are ideas that we accept without proof.

Question 18

The value that occurs most often in a set of numbers is the

A) mean.
B) majority.
C) median.
D) mode.
E) outlier.

Question 19

The most recent information is always the most reliable.