Question

A student takes a statistics test that is based on baseball box scores and team standings. Afterward, the student mentions to the instructor that, to do well on the test, a student had to be familiar with baseball, which is not part of the course. The student is criticizing the test's:

a) Validity
b) Reliability
c) Fairness
d) Objectivity

Answer 1

The student criticized the test's fairness because it required knowledge outside the actual course content, which is not equitable for all students.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student is criticizing the test's fairness. The reason is that knowledge of baseball, which is not part of the statistical course, should not influence a student's performance on a statistics test. The test's validity, reliability, or objectivity is not inherently called into question; instead, the student feels that the test may not provide an equal opportunity for all students to perform well, particularly for those who are not familiar with baseball. For a test to be fair, it must measure only the content that all students have been instructed and prepared to handle, not their particular out-of-class experiences or personal interests.