When asked if there are more ice-cream cones sold in November or July, Mary answers November immediately. She is surprised to find out that there is little to no difference between the two months in terms of ice-cream-cone sales. Mary's error is most clearly an example of
A)imaginary correlation.
B)commonsense.
C)superstitions.
D)illusory correlation.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Mary's belief that November has more ice-cream cone sales than July is a result of a false or illusory correlation between the two variables (month and sales). Illusory correlation refers to the perception of a relationship or pattern between two variables that do not have a significant relationship. Mary's belief is not based on any factual or statistical evidence, but rather on her personal experience or assumptions. Therefore, option D (illusory correlation) is the best choice. The other options (imaginary correlation, commonsense, and superstitions) do not aptly describe Mary's error.

When Asked If There Are More Ice-Cream Cones Sold in November