Home > Statistics Every Writer Should Know > The Stats Board > Discusssion
misuse of statistics
Message posted by Toni chamberlain (via 213.1.67.37) on April 19, 2001 at 2:47 PM (ET)
please someone please help me. i cannot do my course work on the misuse of statistics, please would anybody give me an exsample of the uses and misuses of statistics, i am a student nurse and i am really finding statistics hard, please help if you can
READERS RESPOND:
(In chronological order. Most recent at the bottom.)
Re: misuse of statistics
Message posted by tony (via 213.1.67.37) on April 19, 2001 at 2:50 PM (ET)
exsamle, how the government lies with statistics!!
Re: misuse of statistics
Message posted by Darius (via 200.23.217.10) on April 20, 2001 at 12:22 PM (ET)
The misuse of statistics is to use it wrong (not taking in account the rules or the objective of the method or use it partially) or invent data and say that is statistics.For example
Many practitioners use lineal regression without taking in account that it must be lineal (even when the chart it, and see that is not a lineal behabiur).
Many practitioners use traditional control charts even when the data is absolutely not normal (the distribution of course, like lognormal) and not independent one sample from the other.
Ones, the department of quality was going to determinate the size of the survey sampling, so I investigate in Internet and found the right equation, but the boss say that the pleople will accept better if they say that it was determinated by militar standard (an AQL method for acepting or rejecting a sample), nothing to do with it (taking it partially and the wrong method), but ...
I am agree that the statistician cure their healt being healty (put so many rules that is almost imposible to achive), but if there are simple methods to deal with some of the problems.
Re: misuse of statistics
Message posted by Tony (via 213.1.101.122) on April 20, 2001 at 5:36 PM (ET)
please help!!!!!!!!!1
Re: misuse of statistics
Message posted by tony (via 213.1.101.122) on April 20, 2001 at 5:41 PM (ET)
please if anyone can help, please email me at gaytoni@hotmail.com
Re: misuse of statistics
Message posted by Darius (via 200.23.217.10) on April 23, 2001 at 12:39 PM (ET)
Maybe I don愒 understand your cuestion, if you like articles in the net.Try:
http://www.stats.org/
Re: misuse of statistics
Message posted by Dave Brown (via 207.250.163.192) on September 1, 2001 at 2:22 AM (ET)
Don't you people know anything? Someone asked for help in identifying an example of the "misuse"(how lame) of statistics. With that question, you have explained why, in fact, that it is far more difficult to identify an example of the proper use of statistics than it is the misuse. Statistics when properly and honestly and expertly used can be a great source for adding to the collective body of human knowledge. Unfortunately, mostly because of 3 reasons it has been co-opted and overtaken by the less proper, the less honest, albeit perhaps the equally expert. The reasons are as follows:
1. It is automatically accepted as truth due to its link to the "holy cow" of science.
2. The laymen does not understand it(and therefore worships it-that might be a little strong).
3. Perhaps most importantly, it easily lends itself to manipulation and (as you say) "misuse"---sometimes innocently, but now that it has become a lucrative business, mostly with malice of forethought.
This is to say that if you are a talented statistician, the money is not to be found in debunking bad studies, rather it is in expertly lying with statistics. That's where the jobs are.
If you learn anything in the study of this wonderful science, it should be to distrust any study until you have looked at:
A. Who funded it?
B. What was their methodology?
C. Did they really isolate the variable about which the study is concerned or is there covariation with other variables?
Your professor can tell you the many other things to look for.
If you actually read this entire diatribe and really want to learn, you'll get there. "Lies, damned lies, and statistics."
Benjamin Disraeli
Re: misuse of statistics
Message posted by Phil (via 216.175.113.219) on September 1, 2001 at 4:15 PM (ET)
There is a pretty good book on this subject related to polls and use of data by Cynthia Crossen called "Tainted Truth"http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0684815567/qid=999374478/sr=1-1/ref=sc_b_1/104-0731947-2707116
Re: misuse of statistics
Message posted by Crystal (via 152.163.194.179) on January 25, 2002 at 5:21 PM (ET)
Misuse of statistics is twisting figures to prove one's poin, such as in saying "Crim in Jonesburg has risen 50% in the past 10 years" without mentioning that the population hasrisen 50% during the same tme.
Your $5 contribution helps cover part the $500 annual cost of keeping this site online.
