![]() ![]() For instance, a company might report that the average salary of its employees is $80,000 per year. However, they can be manipulated or misrepresented to create a misleading impression. Misrepresenting AveragesĪverages, such as mean, median, and mode, are often used to summarize data. ![]() This example demonstrates how cherry-picking data can lead to misleading conclusions. While the two variables appear to be related, this is actually due to a confounding variable: warm weather, which increases both ice cream sales and beach attendance (and thus, shark attacks). A famous case study, documented by, examines the correlation between ice cream sales and shark attacks. By selectively presenting only a portion of the data, one can create a narrative that supports their argument while ignoring contradictory evidence. ![]() Cherry-Picking DataĬherry-picking is another way to manipulate statistics, as demonstrated in our article on the topic. The above shows a classic example of this, where a seemingly dramatic increase in sales is revealed to be much less significant when the scale is adjusted. ![]()
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