When Study Results Indicate That a Prior Hypothesis Must Be

question 75

Multiple Choice

When study results indicate that a prior hypothesis must be rejected, some researchers will explore the data to see if unanticipated relationships might make for more interesting results. In principle this is not a good idea because ______.

• A) it takes too much time and energy to dredge the data, and this costs a lot of money
• B) it is unlikely to uncover evidence in support of the rejected hypothesis
• C) unanticipated results might be based on chance alone
• D) the data must obviously be flawed if it cannot support the hypothesis

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Definitions:

Competitive Industries

Sectors of the economy where businesses actively compete with each other to offer goods or services to consumers, often characterized by low barriers to entry and a high level of innovation.

Allocative Efficiency

A state of resource allocation where goods and services are distributed according to consumer preferences, maximizing overall societal welfare.

Productive Efficiency

A situation where a firm or economy produces output at the lowest possible cost, using all its resources efficiently.

Pure Competition

A market structure characterized by a large number of small firms, a homogenous product, and very easy entry and exit from the market.