The first article in my study was titled: “Misleading Statistical Studies” by Amanda Wolf. The article focuses on statistical studies and the lies that they sometimes tell. Wolf explains that though statistics do not need to be avoided, they do, however, need to be evaluated. She also emphasizes that the misleading information found in some statistics is not always the product of careless work. Sometimes these lies happen completely on accident. Wolf also stresses that statistics do not represent the entire population, but rather a probability. Because of this, any statistic has the potential to be misleading. The article begins by explaining misleading statistics and provides a base foundation for the remainder of the article. After the
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However, Best focuses on the way in which a statistic is constructed rather than solely on lies. He explains that a statistic can be considered unreliable if it is purposefully constructed to draw attention from the media. He also states that many untruthful statistics stem from a lack of knowledge about the subject. Because of these factors, Best suggests that statistic literacy be taught. This would help lower the misleading statistics and those that fall for the …show more content…
I never considered that the information that is released, is carefully selected. While other data is completely tossed out. This new insight made me realize that one shouldn’t blindly believe all statistics that they come upon. Instead, one should investigate and analyze the information presented to them. This is something that I plan to use in my life. The last and self-selected article in my study is titled, “Reliance on Raw Statistics Makes City Crime Rankings Misleading” by Rachel Ehrenberg. This article deals with the issues of misleading statistics in relation to crime rates. The article explains how crime rates affect people’s beliefs about a city. The author continues by explaining why relying on these statistics can be a dangerous idea.
Ehrenberg explains that as one looks at crime ratings year to year they may see a big difference. Though a major decrease/spike in criminal activity may lead one to think that a change has occurred, this is not always the case. The author explains that these changes could have many potential reasons that are unrelated to criminal activity. For instance, it may appear that criminal activity has gone down in an area, but actually the crimes are not being
However, Best focuses on the way in which a statistic is constructed rather than solely on lies. He explains that a statistic can be considered unreliable if it is purposefully constructed to draw attention from the media. He also states that many untruthful statistics stem from a lack of knowledge about the subject. Because of these factors, Best suggests that statistic literacy be taught. This would help lower the misleading statistics and those that fall for the …show more content…
I never considered that the information that is released, is carefully selected. While other data is completely tossed out. This new insight made me realize that one shouldn’t blindly believe all statistics that they come upon. Instead, one should investigate and analyze the information presented to them. This is something that I plan to use in my life. The last and self-selected article in my study is titled, “Reliance on Raw Statistics Makes City Crime Rankings Misleading” by Rachel Ehrenberg. This article deals with the issues of misleading statistics in relation to crime rates. The article explains how crime rates affect people’s beliefs about a city. The author continues by explaining why relying on these statistics can be a dangerous idea.
Ehrenberg explains that as one looks at crime ratings year to year they may see a big difference. Though a major decrease/spike in criminal activity may lead one to think that a change has occurred, this is not always the case. The author explains that these changes could have many potential reasons that are unrelated to criminal activity. For instance, it may appear that criminal activity has gone down in an area, but actually the crimes are not being