SAT OwlQuestion bank / Evaluating statistical claims: observational studies and experiments
Researchers randomly selected patients from the records of all patients treated for a certain condition at Hospital H. The selected patients were randomly assigned to receive either treatment A or treatment B. On average, patients who received treatment A recovered significantly faster. Which of the following is the most appropriate conclusion?
Treatment A likely causes faster recovery than treatment B for patients with the condition at Hospital H.
Treatment A likely causes faster recovery than treatment B for all patients with the condition worldwide.
Treatment A likely causes faster recovery than treatment B for all patients at Hospital H, regardless of their condition.
Treatment A is associated with faster recovery, but no cause-and-effect conclusion can be made.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A
Random assignment to treatments supports a cause-and-effect conclusion. Random selection from Hospital H's patients with the condition allows the conclusion to be generalized to that population. Extending it beyond that population, to other hospitals or to other conditions, isn't supported.
Choice B overgeneralizes; the sample represents only patients with the condition at Hospital H, not patients everywhere.
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