A researcher reports that,on average,the participants in his study lost 10.4 pounds after 2 months on his new diet.A friend of yours comments that she tried the diet for 2 months and lost no weight,so clearly the report must be a fraud.Which of the following statements is correct?
A)Your friend must not have followed the diet correctly because she did not lose weight.
B)Because your friend did not lose weight,the report must not be correct.
C)The report gives only the average.This does not imply that all participants in the study lost 10.4 pounds or even that all participants lost weight.Your friend's experience does not necessarily contradict the study results.
D)In order for the study to be correct,we must now add your friend's results to those of the study and recalculate the new average.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The report gives only the average weight loss, and it is possible that some participants did not lose weight or even gained weight. So, the fact that your friend did not lose weight does not necessarily mean that the report is fraudulent.

A Researcher Reports That,on Average,the Participants in His Study Lost