Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Misleading Statistics
Hamburgers
33%
Pizza
33%
Pizza
Hot Dogs
Hamburgers
Hot Dogs
34%
Certain crucial
information are
missing. There is no
way for us to know
whether or not CDC
has counted smokers
who have died from
diseases or accidents.
There is a good
chance that any
smoker that died from
a disease has been
counted as those that
died from smoking.
Here is a question to
ask the CDC:
A person who smokes has died from a heart disease. What was
his cause of death?
The CDC may say that 418,000 people who have died
were smokers, but they cannot say that they have died
because of smoking.
Revised Graph
$16.00
$14.00
$12.00
$10.00
$8.00
$6.00
$4.00
$2.00
$0.00
1973
1974
1975
1976
Years
1977
1978
1979
Revised Graph - II
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
Years
Chevy Advertisement
This is a misleading graph to serve a purpose
which is to indicate that Chevy is the most
preferred car among people, thus possibly
persuading many others to purchase Chevy.
However, if we look at the graph closely, it can
be seen that the y-axis does not start at zero.
The viewer of this graph may take this
misleading graph for how it looks, and will
procure a false and inaccurate information.
In order to fix this misleading graph, we would
have to possess a precise and accurate
information with which we could organize a
properly designed graph. The y-axis of the
graph must also begin from 0, in order to
display an accurate comparison. Without
sufficient information, we cannot but simply
be aware that graphs such as this are
misleading because of their obscurity of the
origin on the y-axis.
~ Confirmatory Methods ~
This method is used to conclude the results of the survey and the statistical information
by answering specific questions. For example, using a confirmatory method, a
statistician can say Oil Prices leaving Saudi Arabia has been increasing, and will
increase in prices.
Not one of these methods should be overlooked. Both methods should be used
extensively to analyze the results of a statistical activity and will have to come to
varieties of extremely specific conclusions with credibility and accuracy.
Bibliography
Fienberg, Stephen E. Statistics. The World Book Encyclopedia. 2002 ed.
Goodman, Jeff. Math and the Media: Deconstructing Graphs and Numbers. Jeff Goodman.
Modification Date: N/A Appalachian State University. Access Date: 1 December 2003.
<http://www.ced.appstate.edu/~goodmanj/workshops/ABS04/graphs/graphs.html>
Goodman, Jeff. Math and the Media: Deconstructing Graphs and Numbers. Jeff Goodman.
Modification Date: N/A Appalachian State University. Access Date: 1 December 2003.
< http://www.ced.appstate.edu/~goodmanj/workshops/ABS04/graphs/graphs.html >
Knox, Pattie. "Excel Activities for the Classroom. North Canton City Schools. Modification
Date: N/A Access Date: 1 December 2003.
<http://www.northcanton.sparcc.org/~technology/excel/files/Misleading_Graphs.xls>
Misleading statistics by the CDC. Jeremiah Project. Modification Date: 21 May 2003.
Access
Date: 1 December 2003. <http://www.jeremiahproject.com/smoke/cdcdeaths.html>