Section 1-5
Uses and Misuses of Statistics
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There are three types
of lies ----- lies,
damn lies and
statistics
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Statistics…can’t get any
respect?
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Statistics…can’t get any
respect?
• Torture numbers, and they'll confess to
anything. ~Gregg Easterbrook
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Statistics…can’t get any
respect?
• Torture numbers, and they'll confess to
anything. ~Gregg Easterbrook
• Statistics can be made to prove anything even the truth. ~Author Unknown
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Statistics…can’t get any
respect?
• Torture numbers, and they'll confess to
anything. ~Gregg Easterbrook
• Statistics can be made to prove anything even the truth. ~Author Unknown
• He uses statistics as a drunken man uses
lampposts - for support rather than for
illumination. ~Andrew Lang
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Statistics…can’t get any
respect?
• Torture numbers, and they'll confess to
anything. ~Gregg Easterbrook
• Statistics can be made to prove anything even the truth. ~Author Unknown
• He uses statistics as a drunken man uses
lampposts - for support rather than for
illumination. ~Andrew Lang
• There are two kinds of statistics, the kind you
look up and the kind you make up. ~Rex
Stout, Death of a Doxy
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Death in Iraq
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Death in Iraq
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Claim:
• 80% of all Resumes are Misleading –
• Source Xukor, Inc. complied from a
survey of 10,000 applications and
resumes combined
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Are Resumes misleading:
MOST FREQUENT AREAS WHERE THEY ARE MISLEADING
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1-5 Uses and Misuses of Statistics
Bluman Chapter 1
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1-5 Uses and Misuses of Statistics

Suspect Samples
 Is
the sample large enough?
 How was the sample selected?
 Is the sample representative of the
population?
Bluman Chapter 1
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1-5 Uses and Misuses of Statistics

Suspect Samples
 Is
the sample large enough?
 How was the sample selected?
 Is the sample representative of the
population?

Ambiguous Averages
 What
particular measure of average was
used and why?
Bluman Chapter 1
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1-5 Uses and Misuses of Statistics
Bluman Chapter 1
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1-5 Uses and Misuses of Statistics

Changing the Subject
 Are
different values used to represent the
same data?
Bluman Chapter 1
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1-5 Uses and Misuses of Statistics

Changing the Subject
 Are
different values used to represent the
same data?

Detached Statistics
 One
third fewer calories…….than what?
Bluman Chapter 1
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1-5 Uses and Misuses of Statistics

Changing the Subject
 Are
different values used to represent the
same data?

Detached Statistics
 One

third fewer calories…….than what?
Implied Connections
 Studies
suggest that some people may
understand what this statement means.
Bluman Chapter 1
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1-5 Uses and Misuses of Statistics
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1-5 Uses and Misuses of Statistics

Misleading Graphs
 Are
the scales for the x-axis and y-axis
appropriate for the data?
Bluman Chapter 1
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1-5 Uses and Misuses of Statistics

Misleading Graphs
 Are
the scales for the x-axis and y-axis
appropriate for the data?

Faulty Survey Questions
 Do
you feel that statistics teachers should
be paid higher salaries?
 Do you favor increasing tuition so that
colleges can pay statistics teachers higher
salaries?
Bluman Chapter 1
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Homework
Read

Sec 1.5 and know
the important terms.
Extra Credit Opportunity:
Do
 Review Exercises on page
26 #1- 28 all. Due
Tuesday Nov 13.
 Grace period ends on
Thursday Nov 15.
If you do any activity to
observe Veteran’s Day, let
me know and I will give you
extra credit.
Bluman Chapter 1
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