What is an example of misused statistics?

What is an example of misused statistics?

In 2007, toothpaste company Colgate ran an ad stating that 80% of dentists recommend their product. Based on the promotion, many shoppers assumed Colgate was the best choice for their dental health. But this wasn’t necessarily true. In reality, this is a famous example of misleading statistics.

How can statistics in the media be misleading?

The data can be misleading due to the sampling method used to obtain data. For instance, the size and the type of sample used in any statistics play a significant role — many polls and questionnaires target certain audiences that provide specific answers, resulting in small and biased sample sizes.

What are the misuses of statistics in a research?

Thus, there are two types of misuses in statistics: (1) using statistical methods, techniques, or models in ways that produce distorted or artifi- cial results; (2) failing to disclose important information about statisti- cal methodology to researchers.

What are misleading statistics?

Misleading statistics, on the other hand, is a term that refers to the misusage of numerical data, either intentionally or due to error, that results in misleading information. Misleading statistics can deceive the receiver of the information if the receiver is not careful to notice the error or deception.

What are the abuses of statistics in real world?

However, statistics can be abused too. Quoting statistics based on non-representative samples. Choosing the “average” value for a sample which most lends itself to your position, when a different “average” value would be more appropriate.

Can statistics be misused explain with two example?

Statistics, when used in a misleading fashion, can trick the casual observer into believing something other than what the data shows. The false statistics trap can be quite damaging for the quest for knowledge. For example, in medical science, correcting a falsehood may take decades and cost lives.

What are the uses and abuses of statistics?

Statistics is used to organize, summarize, present, and/or analyze data — often with the intent of approximating the behavior of a population through examination of samples taken from that population; testing hypotheses; determining relationships between variables; and making predictions from existing data.

What are the abuses of statistics in the real world?

Misleading data visualization. Purposeful and selective bias. Using percentage change in combination with a small sample size. Truncating an axis.

Why are statistics misused?

Statistics are the primary tools for assessing relationships and evaluating study questions. Unfortunately, these tools are often misused, either inadvertently because of ignorance or lack of planning, or conspicuously to achieve a specified result.

What is bad about statistics?

Statistics can tell a powerful story, but bad statistics can mislead your audience, weaken your argument, and damage your credibility. Below are some of the most common ways in which statistics are misused or misunderstood.

What are the uses abuses of statistics in the real world?

How do you abuse statistics?

NATIONAL STATISTICS

1. 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have experienced some form of physical violence by an intimate partner.
2. 1 in 7 women and 1 in 25 men have been injured by an intimate partner.
3. 1 in 10 women have been raped by an intimate partner.