IEsailor wrote:
In 1987, an environmental action group reported a 65-percent response rate to a questionnaire sent to all of its members. The subject of the questionnaire was ocean dumping. On the basis of these results, the group expects a 65-to-70 percent response rate to its upcoming questionnaire on air pollution.
The environmental group’s expectation is based on which of the following assumptions?
a) The group’s membership has not declined by more than 5 percent since 1987.
b) The same number of surveys will be distributed as were distributed in 1987.
c) People who are concerned about ocean dumping are even more concerned about air pollution.
d) The response rate of one questionnaire can be predicted from that of another.
e) The total amount of pollution today is the same as it was in 1987.
A good way to see the correct answer in assumption questions is negating each answer and see if the reasoning collapses.
a) The group's membership has declined by more than 5 percent since 1987.
We are concerned about response rate, not absolute values.b) The same number of surveys will not be distributed as were distributed in 1987.
Same as a), we are concerned about the response rate, not the number of surveys.c) People who are concerned about ocean dumping are not concerned about air pollution.
Anyways they can answer the survey.d) The response rate of one questionnaire can't be predicted from that of another.
Then they should come out with a different expectation. The reasoning becomes faulty here.e) The total amount of pollution today is not the same as it was in 1987.
Again, doesn't affect the response rate.