Stan and Samantha are the proud parents of three little girls. They decide to have one more child because it seems like they are due to have a boy. Stan and Samantha think that most families have both boys and girls therefore they figure the probability the next child will be a boy is high. Stan and Samantha
A)are correct, since the odds of each sex are 50-50, and they are due for a boy
B)have confused representativeness with probability
C)have confused availability with probability
D)are generating an algorithm to solve their problem to have a boy

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Stan and Samantha have confused representativeness with probability. They incorrectly believe that having had three girls increases the likelihood of their next child being a boy, which is a misunderstanding of how probability works. Each child's sex is an independent event with its own 50-50 chance, regardless of the sexes of previous children.

Stan and Samantha Are the Proud Parents of Three Little