Final answer:
In a Master-Detail relationship, it is false that updating a child record can update a field of the parent record using a workflow rule. Workflow rules only allow updates on the same record or on child records through roll-up summary fields, and updating parent records requires other tools like process builder, flows, or Apex triggers.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the context of Master-Detail relationships in data management, primarily in Customer Relationship Management systems like Salesforce, the statement is false. In a Master-Detail relationship, when a child record (detail) is updated, the fields of the parent record cannot be updated directly using a workflow rule.
Workflow rules can only trigger field updates on the same record that meets the criteria or on the child records via a roll-up summary field. However, this does only apply to specific fields that are calculated based on the child records (like count, sum, min, max), not any field on the parent record.
To update a parent record's fields from a child record update, alternative means such as process builder, flows, or Apex triggers need to be used. These tools support much more complex and diverse types of automation and processing including updating related records both up and down the object hierarchy.