Uses and Misuses of Statistics

Check all that apply

Statistics are used to:

• Describe data

• Tell me which pizza I should buy for dinner

• Compare two or more data sets

• Make students love Math class

• Make estimates about population characteristics

Check all that apply

Statistics are misused to:

• Attempt to prove something that is not true

• Sell products that don’t work properly

• To give accurate information about a product

• Get attention by evoking fear, shock, outrage

Samples used were too small and convenient are examples of which kind of misuse?

• Suspect Samples

• Ambiguous Averages

• Changing the Subject

• Detached Statistics

People who select the one measure of average that lends the most evidence to support their position is an example of which type of misuse?

• Suspect Samples

• Changing the Subject

• Implied Connections

• Ambiguous Averages

Regarding spendature, and increase of 3% sounds a lot better than $6,000,000 when an increase is not favorbale is an example of which misuse?

• Ambiguous Averages

• Misleading Graphs

• Changing the Subject

• Suspect Samples

“Our brand has 1/3 fewer calories”, does not compare to anything, let alone another brand is an example of which misuse?

• Detached Statistics

• Misleading Graphs

• Changing the Subject

• Ambiguous Averages

Claims that attempt to imply connections between variables that may not actually exist, like “eating fish MAY HELP to reduce your cholesterol”, is which type of misuse?

• Detached Statistics

• Misleading Graphs

• Suspect Samples

• Implied Connections

Innaproperty drawn graphs that can misrepresent the data and lead the reader to draw false conclusions, is which type of misuse?

• Misleading Graphs

• Implied Connections

• Detached Statistics

• Changing the Subject

Faulty Survey Questions have _____________ in the questions.

• Bias

• Accurate Information

• Data

• Statistics

A _________ survey is one that encompasses errors caused by the design of the survey and its questions.

• good

• biased

• fun

• school