You may have heard the saying that ‘numbers never lie’. What could be more trustworthy than a solution to a mathematical equation? Enter statistics, an area of mathematics in which numbers can be used to mislead. This can be intentional, as is often the case in advertising campaigns. You might hear claims, such as the best weight loss program in the world will produce an average of 20 pounds of weight loss in the first month.
Claims like these usually come with the footnote that “results are not typical” as outliers in data can affect an average value easily. One or two individuals who lost a great deal of weight can make the average value seem more impressive than it is. Misleading statistics can also be unintentional if the researcher does not consider all the important aspects.
For this Discussion, you will explore some critical considerations when assessing the accuracy of statistics.
To prepare for this Discussion:
Imagine you have been hired to complete a data analysis project to promote social change in an area important to you. Some possible topics include public transportation, distribution of public services, health care, public education, or another topic of interest.
View the video on ways to spot bad statistics and reflect on several aspects that Chalabi (2017) indicates are necessary to consider when assessing the accuracy of the values presented. Then, consider how these aspects apply to the topic you selected.
Think about what kinds of data you would collect to present in a memo to your congress person or government representative, regarding the social change you are proposing for your topic, and how you plan to address uncertainty in your results.
Think about how you will make sure your statistics are relatable. Note that the values presented should be relatable.
Think about how you will plan the data collection for your study and what two things you will be cautious of when collecting that data. Consider how you will explain to your government representative why it is necessary to collect this data and why time and money should be allocated to you to collect it.
Click on the link below for Mona Chalabi’s TED Talk, 3 Ways to Spot a Bad Statistic:
Chalabi, M. (2017, February). 3 ways to spot a bad statistic [Video]. TED Conferences. https://www.ted.com/talks/mona_chalabi_3_ways_to_spot_a_bad_statistic
Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 12 minutes.
3 Ways to Spot a Bad Statistic Transcript
With these thoughts in mind:
By Day 3
Post at least 2 paragraphs in response to the following prompts:
Describe the topic you have chosen to study and explain what kinds of data you will collect to present to your government representative.
Describe two specific recommendations you would make to address uncertainty.
Explain how you will make sure that your statistics are relatable so that it will be easy to understand for a diverse group of people.
Explain two things you will be cautious of when collecting a data sample.
Then, explain to your government representative why it is necessary to collect this data and why the time and money should be allocated to you to collect it.
