After his property was vandalized by a small group of teenagers,Mr.Mahmood concluded that most teenagers are irresponsible and delinquent.Mr.Mahmood ought to be reminded that accurate generalizations depend on
A) an awareness of regression toward the mean.
B) constructing a scatterplot.
C) the observation of representative samples.
D) the selection of samples from a skewed population.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Accurate generalizations require the observation of representative samples, meaning that the group being generalized about should be a true reflection of the larger population. Just because a small group of teenagers vandalized Mr. Mahmood's property does not mean that all teenagers are irresponsible and delinquent. Only by observing a representative sample of teenagers can a more accurate generalization be made. Options A, B, and D are not relevant to the situation described.

After His Property Was Vandalized by a Small Group of Teenagers,Mr.Mahmood