Suppose Stephen's first novel makes the New York Times bestseller list. Regression to the mean implies that his second novel:
A)will have a similar plot to his first model.
B)will be even more popular than his first novel.
C)won't be as popular as his first novel.
D)will be a complete flop.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Regression to the mean is the phenomenon that unusual events are likely to be followed by more nearly normal ones. So if Stephen's first novel makes the New York Times bestseller list, regression to the mean implies that his second novel won't be as popular as his first novel (note that this does not necessarily imply that his second novel will be a flop).

Suppose Stephen's First Novel Makes the New York Times Bestseller