Professor Root was studying the arrest rates for drunken driving in urban and rural areas of Ohio.It was found that the arrest rate was higher in the rural areas.Professor Root concluded that people who live in rural areas are more likely to drive while intoxicated than are people who live in urban areas.Root's conclusion
A)illustrates the ecological fallacy.
B)illustrates the individualistic fallacy.
C)illustrates good deductive reasoning.
D)illustrates the importance of trend studies.
E)illustrates the role of ethics in social research

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Professor Root's conclusion illustrates the ecological fallacy, which occurs when researchers make conclusions about individual behavior based on aggregate data. Just because the rural areas have a higher arrest rate for drunken driving does not necessarily mean that individuals in rural areas are more likely to drive while intoxicated. It could be that there are more opportunities for law enforcement to catch drunk drivers in the less-populated, rural areas. Therefore, the conclusion based solely on aggregate data is flawed.

Professor Root Was Studying the Arrest Rates for Drunken Driving