One Recent Survey Showed That Two-Thirds of Americans Believe the Government

question 15

Multiple Choice

One recent survey showed that two-thirds of Americans believe the government is spending "too little" money on "assistance for the poor." Yet,another survey conducted at the same time found that only one-tenth of Americans believe that the government is spending "too little" on "welfare." This example shows that:

• A) selection bias must always be considered when interpreting the results from a poll
• B) small differences in the wording of a question can lead to very different response patterns
• C) the findings from some polling agencies should not be trusted
• D) polling can never be used to understand public opinion on any issue
• E) the results from push polls are often inconsistent

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Definitions:

Escape Behaviors

Actions taken to terminate or avoid unpleasant stimuli or situations, often considered in the context of negative reinforcement.

Avoidance Behaviors

Actions taken to prevent or avoid a perceived unpleasant or harmful event or outcome.

Punishment

The imposition of a penalty or negative consequence following undesirable behavior, aimed at reducing or eliminating that behavior.

Punishment Contrast

A phenomenon whereby a behavior that is suppressed through punishment in one situation increases in another situation in which punishment was not administered.