Final answer:
Believing Wheaties may help in becoming a champion due to athlete endorsements is an example of impression management that can lead to illusory correlations. Companies may use celebrity endorsements to create a favorable product image, but this doesn't prove causation. To counter these claims, it's essential to separate correlation from causation and examine scientific evidence critically. Therefore correct option is B
Step-by-step explanation:
The belief that eating Wheaties may make one a champion because successful athletes endorse the cereal might originate from a proactive prevention strategy for image damage known as impression management. In such cases, companies might reinforce a desirable image or product attributes by associating them with credible, admired, or successful figures. However, this can lead to illusory correlations, where the influence of eating the cereal is overestimated due to its association with successful individuals, without substantiating the cause-and-effect relationship.
The Wonder Bread Company's case of advertising with 'Professor Wonder' claiming that extra calcium in their bread could improve children's cognitive abilities is an example of such promotional tactics not supported by adequate scientific evidence. This misled consumers into believing in benefits that were not proven, resulting in the FTC's intervention.
To counter the cause-and-effect claim that eating more cereal causes healthy weight, one should note that correlation does not imply causation. Accurate research should control for other factors, such as overall diet and physical activity, when evaluating the health impacts of eating cereal. Such careful consideration of research design helps to prevent the propagation of inaccurate health claims to consumers.