Professor Root was studying the child abuse rates in urban and rural areas of Ohio. It was found that the child abuse rate was higher in the rural areas. Professor Root concluded that people who live in rural areas are more likely to abuse children than are people who live in urban areas. Root's conclusion
A) illustrates the ecological fallacy.
B) illustrates reductionism.
C) illustrates good deductive reasoning.
D) illustrates the importance of trend studies.

Question

Professor Root was studying the child abuse rates in urban and rural areas of Ohio. It was found that the child abuse rate was higher in the rural areas. Professor Root concluded that people who live in rural areas are more likely to abuse children than are people who live in urban areas. Root's conclusion​
A) ​illustrates the ecological fallacy.
B) ​illustrates reductionism.
C) ​illustrates good deductive reasoning.
D) ​illustrates the importance of trend studies.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Professor Root's conclusion illustrates the ecological fallacy, which involves making assumptions about individuals based on group-level data. It is not necessarily true that all individuals living in rural areas are more likely to abuse children than those living in urban areas, even though the overall rates may be higher in rural areas. This is a common pitfall in sociological research.

Professor Root Was Studying the Child Abuse Rates in Urban