Use the Guidelines to Evaluate the Study

question 98

Essay

Use the guidelines to evaluate the study. Discuss flaws that you see in the study.
-A researcher from an environmental group wishes to gauge political sentiment regarding
a proposed environmental law. He obtains a list of 1000 email addresses from an internet
provider, uses a random number table to select a random sample of 100 of these addresses,
emails the people in the sample asking them "How do you feel about the proposed
environmental law which will improve the quality of our air?" He requests that people
respond to his question by email.
After the study he announces that 72% of Americans are in favor of the new environmental
law.

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Definitions:

Basic

Fundamental, elementary, or essential in nature, often used to describe core principles or elements.

Biological Need

Fundamental physiological requirements essential for maintaining life, such as food, water, and shelter.

Reinforcer

Any stimulus that increases the likelihood of a preceding behavior to occur again by either presenting a positive stimulus or removing a negative one.

Punisher

Anything that follows a response and weakens it or decreases the probability that it will occur.