"Regression artifact" refers to the mathematical fact that
A) people who score above average on pretests tend to have lower scores on posttests, and those who score below average on pretests tend to increase their scores on posttests.
B) any participant's score on a pretest can be expected to be lower on a posttest, because of the "law of averages."
C) participants who have extreme scores, high or low, on a pretest tend to have posttest scores that are even more extreme.
D) posttests are often unnecessary, since they tend to give, on average, the same results as those obtained on pretests.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Regression toward the mean, or regression artifact, describes the phenomenon where if a variable is extreme on its first measurement, it will tend to be closer to the average on its second measurement, and vice versa. This explains why individuals scoring very high or low initially tend to move toward the mean on subsequent tests.

"Regression Artifact" Refers to the Mathematical Fact That