Because the research suggests that police officers are more likely as a group to experience alcoholism, the chief of police concluded that Officer Smith's recent illness was likely caused by his excessive drinking. Which type of logical error did the chief of police commit?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The chief of police committed an ecological fallacy by making assumptions about an individual based on group data. Just because police officers as a group are more likely to experience alcoholism does not necessarily mean that Officer Smith's illness was caused by excessive drinking.

Because the Research Suggests That Police Officers Are More Likely