And lo On Wed, 17 Mar 2010 02:33:08 -0000, Jim Charter <jrc### [at] msncom>  
did spake thusly:

> Phil Cook v2 wrote:
>
>> So taking the results you've given I'm just guessing you've got a  
>> low-scoring class; or the 'wrong' answer grid you're using is very  
>> similar to the 'correct' one.
>>
>
> Yes, a small, fixed number of wrong answers on the marking key would  
> give the same result I suspect also.  But it is interesting to me how  
> intuitively we discount the possibility that the one high score is a  
> random outcome, but rather the proof that the key is okay, or mostly  
> okay, and the class is low scoring.

Ah, but that's psychology rather than probability ;-) But yes, I suspect  
it's because we're used to clusters cropping up naturally. When an extreme  
appears we assume intention. If it had been a really low score would you  
have taken that as proof that the key was wrong?

-- 
Phil Cook

--
I once tried to be apathetic, but I just couldn't be bothered
http://flipc.blogspot.com

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