Discussion Topic
One of the most fiercely debated topics in sports is the hot hand theory. The hot hand theory says
that
success breeds success. In other words, rather than each shot a basketball player
takes or each at-bat
a baseball player has being an independent event, the outcome of one event affects the next event. That
is, a player can get hot and make a lot of shots a in a row or get a lot of hits in a row. The hot hand theory,
however, has been shown to be false in numerous academic studies.
Read this article, which discusses the hot hand theory as it relates to basketball players. State whether
you agree or disagree with the hot hand theory, and give reasons for your opinion. Be sure to use some
of the terms you've learned in this unit, such as independent event, dependent event, and conditional
probability, in your answer.