Question

Identify a reason why we should be skeptical of any claim or statistical evidence involving the following: An advertisement for A-1 Motor Oil states that in a survey of auto mechanics across the country, the majority of them use A-1 Motor Oil in their own vehicles.

a) Sampling bias
b) Non-response bias
c) Confounding variables
d) Measurement error

Answer 1

We should doubt the claim from A-1 Motor Oil due to potential sampling bias, response bias, confounding variables, and measurement error, which all could lead to unrepresentative or skewed results.

Step-by-step explanation:

We should be skeptical of the statistical evidence presented by A-1 Motor Oil for a few reasons. First, the claim could suffer from sampling bias if the mechanics selected are more likely to use A-1 Motor Oil or if they have some association with the company. Additionally, there is potential for response bias, where mechanics might report using A-1 Motor Oil because it's a socially desirable answer or due to pressure to align with the sponsor of the survey. Moreover, the survey outcome could be influenced by confounding variables such as mechanics' access to different oil brands, or their regional preferences, which aren't controlled in the study. Lastly, there could be measurement error if the survey questions were worded in a way that influences mechanics to favor A-1 Motor Oil.

It is also critical to be aware of non-response bias, which occurs when the mechanics who choose not to respond to the survey differ in opinion from those who do respond. This could skew the results if the non-respondents are systematically different from respondents.

In conclusion, without knowing more about how the survey was conducted, we have reason to question the claim because of potential sampling bias, response bias, confounding variables, and measurement error.