This demonstration illustrates the error of using an inappropriate test to conclude that a specific ability does not exist within a subject or population. Students were asked to add two 5-digit numbers, which were exposed on a flash card for about I s, and write down the sum. Because most students could not successfully complete this task, they were confronted with the conclusion that American college students do not possess the ability to add. The students easily grasped the obvious error in this conclusion. Social and methodological implications of the demonstration are discussed.
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