- PowerScore Staff
- Posts: 8950
- Joined: Feb 02, 2011
- Tue May 03, 2016 10:30 am
#23840
Complete Question Explanation
Resolve the Paradox. The correct answer choice is (A)
This stimulus involves the “puzzling” survey results which had half the respondents saying that they were in the top quarter of the class. This would likely be explained in one of two ways: either students’ memories inflate their perceived past accomplishments, or perhaps those who had been in the top quarter were more likely to respond. Such a self selecting sample would explain the survey results.
Answer choice (A): This is the correct answer choice, and restates the prephrase above. If the academic achievers were more likely to respond, then their high ranks would be over-represented by the survey.
Answer choice (B): This choice does not resolve the paradox—it actually rules out one possible resolution (the first prephrase from the discussion above). If we know the survey responses to be accurate, then the disproportionate numbers are even more confusing.
Answer choice (C): We don’t know how well the other groups were represented, so this consideration is irrelevant, and fails to resolve the disparity between the portion of respondents and the quartile each one represents.
Answer choice (D): Like incorrect answer choice (B) above, this choice actually expands the paradox, by ruling out one possible explanation—that of an unrepresentative survey.
Answer choice (E): Regardless of how they determined class rank, the paradox remains between the portion responding and the overrepresentation of the top quartile.
Resolve the Paradox. The correct answer choice is (A)
This stimulus involves the “puzzling” survey results which had half the respondents saying that they were in the top quarter of the class. This would likely be explained in one of two ways: either students’ memories inflate their perceived past accomplishments, or perhaps those who had been in the top quarter were more likely to respond. Such a self selecting sample would explain the survey results.
Answer choice (A): This is the correct answer choice, and restates the prephrase above. If the academic achievers were more likely to respond, then their high ranks would be over-represented by the survey.
Answer choice (B): This choice does not resolve the paradox—it actually rules out one possible resolution (the first prephrase from the discussion above). If we know the survey responses to be accurate, then the disproportionate numbers are even more confusing.
Answer choice (C): We don’t know how well the other groups were represented, so this consideration is irrelevant, and fails to resolve the disparity between the portion of respondents and the quartile each one represents.
Answer choice (D): Like incorrect answer choice (B) above, this choice actually expands the paradox, by ruling out one possible explanation—that of an unrepresentative survey.
Answer choice (E): Regardless of how they determined class rank, the paradox remains between the portion responding and the overrepresentation of the top quartile.