Misrepresented Statistics

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Ferdinand Foch

Ferdinand Foch

Staff Sergeant
759
2
Dec 1, 2008
Stafford Springs, Connecticut
Hey guys, I have a problem-set for my Math class due Monday. The assignment is to find an article either online, from the news, etc., about statistics (with graphs or charts) that maybe misrepresented. I'm having a little trouble finding something like that online (surprisingly), and just wanted to know if any of you guys could point me in the right direction. Thanks, I really appreciate it.
-FF.
 
Ferdinand Foch said:
Hey guys, I have a problem-set for my Math class due Monday. The assignment is to find an article either online, from the news, etc., about statistics (with graphs or charts) that maybe misrepresented. I'm having a little trouble finding something like that online (surprisingly), and just wanted to know if any of you guys could point me in the right direction. Thanks, I really appreciate it.
-FF.
Click to expand...

"misrepresented statistics" Go to any liberal website!

(no political discussion intended) :)

TO
 
I would look at the job stats that the government puts out. Kinda interesting that at the same time 1000 jobs are stated as being created they also report unemployment up. And what are those jobs that are created? There are some cool sites you can check including a political facts check site - whose name escapes me at the moment.
 
Njaco said:
I would look at the job stats that the government puts out. Kinda interesting that at the same time 1000 jobs are stated as being created they also report unemployment up. And what are those jobs that are created? There are some cool sites you can check including a political facts check site - whose name escapes me at the moment.
Click to expand...

Good idea Chris!

FactCheck.org

TO
 
Go to any Governmental web-site and it will be chalked full of statistics that are misrepresented, skewed, and just plain lies!
 
Last edited:
I poked around on the web and tried to find some Global Warming stats that were questionable but they seem to be hard to find in anyform.

If you do look around for stats that are questionable ("Lies, damned lies and statistics"), the best way to check the questionable nature of a graph is to look at the base line. Quite often, a graph looks very bad when you look at the micro (last 100 years) and not the macro (last 100million years). That is one of the tricks used to prove a point that probably isn't a valid point at all.
 
Hey, thanks a bunch guys! I took your idea of looking at liberal websites, so I went to MSNBC's website. :lol:

I printed off an article that talks about ow unemployment has fallen to 9.7 percent, though the government has said that the 8.4 million jobs were lost in the recession. I think this will do the trick. Thanks again, mates! :)
 
1) look for a graph that has a large increment on the y axis (going up) this makes the rate of increase seem larger than it is

2) look for a survey group of less than 1,000. Groups do this to purposefully scew data.

3) look for data that has a +/- of more than 2 or 3 percent.

4) use data that uses the Texas school districts!! they lied about their successes and as a result we all got NCLB.

5) Actually look at data from ANY state about school data. They're stupid when it comes to reliable data- example: growth or lack thereof of 4th graders from 2008/2009-2009/2010...... well, that's comparing 2 different sets of kids (the 2008/09 4th graders are now in 5th grade) so you can't really compare 1 group of kids score to anothers a year later and say "they" aren't improving. When really, if in 3rd grade only 60% passed the test, and then in 4th grade the same group 75% passed- they did improve... even if last year, 84% of my class passed.

Here's another one- not only does my school district compare grades year to year, but this year they changed the test- so my kids this year have to improve on my students score from last year and on a harder test. They changed a variable. Brilliant aye??

OK off the rant!!

I love statistics and numbers.
 
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