Your family is discussing autism because a neighbor was recently diagnosed as suffering from autism. Most of the members of the family say they are not surprised because autism occurs in better-educated families. You recognize that this is not true so you tell your family it was the result of a referral bias. They look at you with puzzlement and ask you to explain. What do you say?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Referral bias occurs when a particular type of person is more likely to be included in a study or diagnosis group due to certain factors. In this case, the belief that autism occurs more often in better-educated families is incorrect. It is more likely that these families seek out diagnosis and treatment for their children at specialty clinics, leading to a referral bias where the sample of autistic children studied is skewed towards those from better-educated families.

Your Family Is Discussing Autism Because a Neighbor Was Recently