How do you know when to trust a statistic
2006-11-13 13:37:24 · 8 answers · asked by Dan Ln 3 in Social Science ➔ Economics
You don't! you need to look behind the stats!
2006-11-13 13:53:30 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
75%/45% witch ever sounds best at the time of the argument& you cant trust those numbers,their usually nothing more then an educated guess& by the time they reach your ears its estimated that number has changed at least 3 times.You see what I mean .9 times out of 10 you would not stop to ask where I come up with these numbers.I just came up with them .Are they true maybe ,maybe not .Are you really going to go and try to disprove me.Doubt it but maybe.Probably youll take what I say at face value.
2006-11-13 14:01:38 · answer #2 · answered by bradship4u 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Validate it by atleast three reputable sources. If atleast three reliable sources say the same thing, chances are that it is probably accurate.
Oh, and the statistic you used might itself have been made up on the spot.
2006-11-13 13:44:35 · answer #3 · answered by Watermelon 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
actually thomas it IS exactly 65% of stats that are made upon the spot, decimal points are used (58.456%) of the time to make a stat seem real when 35% of the time the are not.
2006-11-13 13:54:00 · answer #4 · answered by wave 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Actually, it's 63%, but only if the wood that the sticks are made out of is fresh. If the wood is not fresh, then it's closer to 38%.
2006-11-13 14:28:40 · answer #5 · answered by mailrick12 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
In this case -- it is 50% certainty that the word "Statistics" is misspelled in the question!
2006-11-13 13:55:06 · answer #6 · answered by sglmom 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i always say 72.3, decimals add believability.
statistics can and are made to say whatever someone wants. it is the manipulation of data, they can manipulate it however they want.
2006-11-13 13:46:02 · answer #7 · answered by yesmynameismud 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
it's 67.4% Remember statistics are 34.5% more believable if they have a decimal point.
2006-11-13 13:50:27 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋