Identifying Misleading Graphs

Why might we not question exaggerated claims in advertising and politics?

• Because they are backed by science

• Because they are rare

• Because we are used to them

• Because they are always true

What does a graph represent?

• Cold, hard numbers

• Speculations

• Assumptions

• Opinions

In the 1992 Chevy ad, what was misleading about the graph?

• It used too many colors

• It showed irrelevant information

• It distorted the y-axis scale

• It used incorrect data

How can zooming in on a small portion of the y-axis mislead viewers?

• By hiding the data

• By making differences seem larger than they are

• By making the graph colorful

• By changing the data

What is a common way to distort data in line graphs?

• Using 3D effects

• Adding irrelevant data

• Distorting the x-axis scale

• Using too many colors

What does 'cherry picking' data involve?

• Using random data points

• Using all available data

• Selecting data that supports a specific narrative

• Ignoring all data

Why might a graph showing Super Bowl viewership be misleading?

• It uses incorrect data

• It uses too many colors

• It doesn't account for population growth

• It shows irrelevant data

What is the significance of understanding the full context of a graph?

• To understand the true impact of the data

• To add more colors to the graph

• To make the graph look better

• To ignore the data

Why might two graphs using the same data give opposite impressions?

• They use different data points

• They plot the data differently

• They use different colors

• They are from different sources

What should you look at to understand a graph's story?

• The source of the graph

• The size of the graph

• The labels, numbers, scale, and context

• The colors