A researcher studies community-level arson rates in relation to economic indicators such as household income, poverty, and unemployment. The researcher finds that communities with higher arson rates have higher poverty and unemployment rates and lower household income. The researcher concluded that unemployed people are more likely to commit arson than are those who are employed. What error was just committed?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The researcher committed the ecological fallacy by drawing conclusions about individuals based solely on community-level data. It is possible that within a community, employed individuals are actually more likely to commit arson than unemployed individuals. The association between arson rates and economic indicators may not hold true at the individual level.

A Researcher Studies Community-Level Arson Rates in Relation to Economic