In evaluating the following generalization(s), identify sample, population, attribute of interest, and the extent to which the claims involved are knowable. Consider carefully the size and diversification of the sample and the extent to which the population differs or may differ from the sample; remember, what's important is that the sample be representative."In a study done by a University of Pennsylvania psychologist, 29 suburban and 38 inner-city children from the Philadelphia area, ranging in age from 3 to 12 years, were asked to consume foods mixed with 'disgusting' substances, like apple juice stirred with a used comb or containing a dead grasshopper. Almost two-thirds of the children from 3 to 6 sipped juice in which a grasshopper floated. There were no differences between city and

Question

suburban children." -Published in Developmental PsychologyWould it be safe to say, on the basis of this study, that the same percentage of all American children from ages three to six would be willing to sip juice in which a disgusting object floats? Explain.

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Your essay should clarify what the sample and population classes are and what characteristic is attributed to each (note the shift from "apple juice in which a grasshopper floats" to "juice in which a disgusting object floats"). Further, the essay should address the "knowability" of the thesis, given the latter's vagueness, and show that the writer remembered the cautions in the chapter about making inferences in generalizing from a sample. The essay should also consider the size, diversity, and representativeness of the sample.