Introduction
Real estate agents sometimes sell their own houses. How long are their own houses on the market, compared to the houses of their clients?
A. ten days less
B. five days less
C. the same amount of time
D. five days longer
E. ten days longer
E. ten days longer
How might setting a fine for picking up a child late from a daycare center (say $3) affect the parents’ behavior?
A. Behavior decreases
B. Behavior increases
C. No change in behavior
B. Behavior increases
How much money does the leader of a gang make a month, assuming the gang makes $32,000 total a month (according to the Black Disciples)?
A. $2,500
B. $5,300
C. $8,500
D. $10,700
C. $8,500
A consistently good indicator of a high-achieving student is:
A. Having books in the home
B. Living in a good neighborhood
C. Literacy level of the parents
D. Education level of the parents
A. Having books in the home
How common is it for a teacher to cheat nowadays? In how many states were cases found of teachers cheating on standardized tests in 2013?
A. 10 states
B. 15 states
C. 25 states
D. more than 25 states
(For double points, guess the exact number!)
D. more than 25 states
The exact number was 33 states!
How much effect would it have for a political candidate to double spending?
A. No effect at all
B. Increase votes by 1%
C. Increase votes by 50%
D. Increase votes by 100% (double the votes)
B. Increase votes by 1%
On April 15, 1987, the International Revenue Service created a new rule that tax filers must provide a social security number for each dependent child in America rather than just a name. How many children “disappeared” that night (how many fake children did taxpayers register)?
A. 2 million
B. 4 million
C. 7 million
D. 10 million
C. 7 million
The most dangerous job according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics is a timber cutter (1 in 200 chance of death); however, the members of the Black Disciples claim their lives are more deadly. How many more times (if at all) is a person more likely to get killed from being in a gang?
A. Timber cutting is actually more dangerous
B. It's the same risk
C. 15 times more likely
D. 50 times more likely
D. 50 times more likely
Two people, DeShawn Williams and Jake Williams, apply to the same job for the same employer with identical resumes. In a study, however, Jake Williams was found to receive more callbacks than DeShawn Williams. Why is this the case?
A. The employer is a racist
B. The employer believes DeShawn will not be able to perform as well as Jake
C. All of the above
D. We cannot determine a reason why this is the case
D. We cannot determine a reason why this is the case
A. 10%
B. 25%
C. 50%
D. more than 50%
Double points for guessing the number exactly!
D. more than 50%
The exact number is 64%, with 58% admitting to plagiarism, and a shocking 95% saying they "participated" in some kind of cheating
In 1995, A criminologist named James Fox predicted that the teenage murder rate was set to increase. He predicted it would jump up by at least 15%. In fact, that rate actually
A. Increased by 15%
B. Increased by 50%
C. Decreased by 15%
D. Decreased by 50%
D. Decreased by 50%
In a sumo bout of 15 rounds, 8 out of 15 is a winning record. In the last round, would a sumo wrestler with a record of 8-6 be likely to let a 7-7 record wrestler beat him?
A. Yes
B. No
A. Yes
According to the authors, the real money in drug sales (at the time the book was written) was in:
A. dealing crack cocaine
B. dealing heroin
C. dealing both crack cocaine and heroin
D. None of the above
A. dealing crack cocaine
Which of the following names is associated with the lowest level of a mother's education (according to California data from the time of publication)?
A. Heaven
B. Destinee
C. Brandie
D. Brandi
E. Katherine
A. Heaven
What is the most popular illegal drug in the US?
A. Marijuana
B. Heroin
C. Cocaine
D. Methamphetamine
A. Marijuana
(the rest are in order of popularity)
Leavitt defines economics as:
A. the science of following money
B. how societies and individuals allocate resources
C. a science with excellent tools for gaining answers but a serious shortage of interesting questions.
D. the best tool we have for understanding human behavior
C. a science with excellent tools for gaining answers but a serious shortage of interesting questions.
According to Paul Feldman's data, on which occasion would the average person be more likely to leave money for a bagel at their workplace?
A. Valentine’s Day
B. Labor Day
B. Labor Day
True or False? Most crack dealers earn more money in comparison to the (at the time) average annual income of $61,000
A. True
B. False
B. False
Which of the following factors most strongly correlate with HIGH test scores?
A. The child’s parents recently moved to a better neighborhood
B. The child’s parents read to him everyday
C. The child has highly educated parents
D. The child’s family is intact
c. The child has highly educated parents
Fun fact:
How much garbage does the average American generate every year?
A. 1000 pounds
B. 1500 pounds
C. 2000 pounds
D. 2500 pounds
B. 1500 pounds (actually 1640 lbs)
The authors say this is the "cornerstone of modern economic behavior."
A. money
B. human need
C. morality
D. incentives
D. incentives
What is an indication (though not enough alone) that a teacher may be cheating in her classroom?
A. Students attendance as recorded by the teacher
B. Too many of the same answers on a test
C. Too many correct answers on a test
D. All of the above
B. Too many of the same answers on a test
What is the estimated annual salary of a crack-dealing gang’s Board of Directors (top 20 bosses of the gang)?
A. $50,000
B. $100,000
C. $500,000
D. $1,000,000
C. $500,000
Which of the following factors most strongly correlate with LOW test scores?
A. The child had a low birthweight
B. The child is regularly spanked
C. The child frequently watches television
D. The child’s mother did not work between birth and kindergarten
A. The child had a low birthweight
Fun fact:
How much time does the average American spend reading for pleasure each day?
A. 10 minutes or less
B. 20 minutes
C. 30 minutes
D. one hour
A. 10 minutes or less