The other day you stumbled across a new cafe near university where you had the best coffee. You tell your friends immediately that you have found 'the most amazing cafe'. You go back there the next day but the coffee isn't as good. Your friends also tell you that they have visited the cafe since you told them about it, and the coffee was average. The next week you decide to give the cafe another go, and the coffee is better but still not as good as the first time you went. This is an example of:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This scenario is an example of regression, which refers to the statistical phenomenon where extreme cases tend to move towards the average on subsequent measurements. The first exceptional experience with the coffee was an extreme case, and subsequent experiences regressed towards the mean (average) quality.

The Other Day You Stumbled Across a New Cafe near University