Page 49 - Statistics for Dummies

Chapter 3
Taking Control: So Many Numbers,
So Little Time
In This Chapter
▶ Examining the extent of statistics abuse
▶ Feeling the impact of statistics gone wrong
he sheer amount of statistics in daily life can leave you feeling over-
Twhelmed and confused. This chapter gives you a tool to help you deal
with statistics: skepticism! Not radical skepticism like “I can’t believe any-
thing anymore,” but healthy skepticism like “Hmm, I wonder where that
number came from?” and “I need to find out more information before I believe
these results.” To develop healthy skepticism, you need to understand how
the chain of statistical information works.
Statistics end up on your TV and in your newspaper as a result of a process.
First, the researchers who study an issue generate results; this group is com-
posed of pollsters, doctors, marketing researchers, government researchers,
and other scientists. They are considered the original sources of the statisti-
cal information.
After they get their results, these researchers naturally want to tell people
about it, so they typically either put out a press release or publish a journal
article. Enter the journalists or reporters, who are considered the media
sources of the information. Journalists hunt for interesting press releases and
sort through journals, basically searching for the next headline. When report-
ers complete their stories, statistics are immediately sent out to the public
through all forms of media. Now the information is ready to be taken in by the
third group — the consumers of the information (you). You and other consum-
ers of information are faced with the task of listening to and reading the infor-
mation, sorting through it, and making decisions about it.

At any stage in the process of doing research, communicating results, or
consuming information, errors can take place, either unintentionally or by
design. The tools and strategies you find in this chapter give you the skills to
be a good detective.

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