Short Answer

Evaluate the following claim: 'A score of 40 on the Beck Depression Inventory is always an outlier, regardless of the sample.' Provide a brief justification for your evaluation based on the relationship between a score and its specific sample group.

Question: Evaluate the following claim: 'A score of 40 on the Beck Depression Inventory is always an outlier, regardless of the sample.' Provide a brief justification for your evaluation based on the relationship between a score and its specific sample group.

Sample answer: The claim is false. A score is only considered an outlier if it represents a truly extreme value relative to the rest of the specific group being measured. If the entire sample consisted of clinically depressed individuals scoring around 40, that score would be typical, not an outlier.

Key points:

  • Evaluates the claim as incorrect or false.
  • States that an outlier is defined relative to the rest of the group.
  • Provides an example showing the score would not be an outlier in a sample of depressed peers.

Rubric: Full credit requires evaluating the claim as false and justifying this by explaining that an outlier is defined by its extreme value relative to the rest of the sample, not by its absolute numerical value.

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Updated 2026-05-27

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Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU

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