CARS Evidence Evaluation and Research Methods Flashcards
6 cards from real CARS practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 CARS Evidence Evaluation and Research Methods flashcards as text
A CARS passage argues that because a policy worked in Sweden, it will work in the United States. Which flaw undermines this reasoning?
Answer: Differences in cultural, political, and social context may make direct comparison invalid
Directly applying findings from one country to another ignores potentially critical contextual differences that affect outcomes.
In a CARS passage, an author dismisses a competing study because it was published 20 years ago. Is this a strong counter-argument?
Answer: Not necessarily, because older foundational research may still be valid and relevant
Age alone does not invalidate research; some foundational studies remain highly relevant, though newer evidence may also need to be weighed.
A CARS passage includes a graph showing a sharp rise in a variable after a new intervention. What additional information is needed before concluding the intervention caused the rise?
Answer: Whether a control group without the intervention showed a similar rise
Without a control group, the observed rise could be due to other factors unrelated to the intervention, making causation impossible to confirm.
Which of the following is an example of anecdotal evidence as it might appear in a CARS passage?
Answer: A doctor claims a treatment works because one of her patients recovered after using it
Anecdotal evidence is based on personal experience or individual cases rather than systematic data collection, making it unreliable for broad conclusions.
A CARS passage describes a researcher who designed an experiment to test her own hypothesis. What potential bias should the reader consider?
Answer: Confirmation bias may lead the researcher to favor results that support her hypothesis
Confirmation bias occurs when researchers unconsciously seek, interpret, or report data in ways that support their pre-existing beliefs.
When evaluating a source cited in a CARS passage, which factor is most important to assess first?
Answer: Whether the source has a clear conflict of interest
Conflicts of interest—such as financial ties or ideological motivations—can compromise the objectivity and reliability of a source.