A psychologist visiting a classroom concludes that one of the children is depressed because the child is quiet and unresponsive.Actually, the child has the flu.The psychologist has made what error?
A) failure to distinguish correlation from causation
B) failure to distinguish inference from observation
C) failure to use experimental controls
D) failure to obtain a representative sample

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The psychologist has made the mistake of inferring the child's emotional state based on their behavior, without considering other possible explanations for their behavior (such as being sick with the flu). This is an error in distinguishing inference (the psychologist's conclusion about the child's mood) from observation (the child's quiet and unresponsive behavior).

A Psychologist Visiting a Classroom Concludes That One of the Children