(24) 글의 제목으로 가장 적절한 것은?
Many advertisements cite statistical surveys. But we should be (a)
cautious because we usually do not know how these surveys are conducted. For example, a toothpaste manufacturer once had a poster that said, “More than 80% of dentists recommend
Smiley Toothpaste.” This seems to say that most dentists (b)
prefer Smiley Toothpaste to other brands. But it turns out that the survey questions allowed the dentists to recommend more than one brand, and in fact another competitor’s brand was recommended just as often as
Smiley Toothpaste! No wonder the UK Advertising Standards Authority ruled in 2007 that the poster was (c)
misleading and it could no longer be displayed.
A similar case concerns a well-known cosmetics firm marketing a cream that is supposed to rapidly reduce wrinkles. But the only evidence provided is that “76% of 50 women agreed.” But what this means is that the evidence is based on just the personal opinions from a small sample with no objective measurement of their skin’s condition. Furthermore, we are not told how these women were selected. Without such information, the “evidence” provided is pretty much (d)
useful. Unfortunately, such advertisements are quite typical, and as consumers we just have to use our own judgment and (e)
avoid taking advertising claims too seriously.
① The Link between Advertisements and the Economy
② Are Statistical Data in Advertisements Reliable?
③ Statistics in Advertisements Are Objective!
④ The Bright Side of Public Advertisements
⑤ Quality or Price, Which Matters More?