Which statement best reflects an example of regression toward the mean

A) People who originally score near the average on some trait are measured a second time, and their new score falls at the extreme high or low end of the scale.
B) People who originally score extremely high or low on some trait are measured a second time, and their new score falls closer to the average.
C) People recover from a mental or physical illness without any form of intervention.
D) People's expectations lead them to experience some change, even though they receive a fake or ineffective treatment.

Question

Marwan Alyounes · Accepted Answer

Final Answer : B, Explanation :  Regression toward the mean refers to the statistical phenomenon that extreme scores on a variable tend to become less extreme over time due to chance factors. Option B reflects this phenomenon by stating that people who initially score extremely high or low on a trait tend to score closer to the average when measured a second time. Option A describes the opposite phenomenon, where people who score near the average initially tend to score more extreme on a second measurement. Options C and D describe unrelated phenomena.

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