Questions: Based solely on the information given, do you have reason to question the results or methods used in the study? Explain your reasoning. Sociologists studying alcohol abuse circulate a questionnaire asking each respondent "Did you drink to excess in the past week?" Is there reason to question the results? Select all that apply. A. Yes, there is reason. Self-reporting is often not accurate. B. No, there is no reason. It is unlikely that there are any confounding variables in the study. C. No, there is no reason. There is no bias in the study. D. Yes, there is reason. The wording of the question might produce inaccurate or dishonest responses. E. Yes, there is reason. The people receiving the questionnaire might not be representative of the population. F. No, there is no reason. The goal of the study is clear.

Solution Steps

To determine if there is reason to question the results or methods used in the study, consider the potential biases and limitations of self-reported data, the representativeness of the sample, and the wording of the question. Self-reporting can lead to inaccuracies due to social desirability bias or misunderstanding of the question. Additionally, if the sample is not representative of the broader population, the results may not be generalizable. The wording of the question can also influence responses, leading to potential inaccuracies.

Self-reporting can lead to inaccuracies in data collection due to social desirability bias, where respondents may not answer truthfully. This can be represented as a potential error in the data, denoted as \( E_{self-report} \).

The wording of the question can influence how respondents interpret it, potentially leading to inaccurate or dishonest responses. This can be expressed as a bias factor \( B_{wording} \).

If the sample of respondents is not representative of the broader population, the results may not be generalizable. This can be quantified as a representativeness error \( E_{representative} \).

Final Answer