A Conversation for How To Understand Statistics
Would you believe 10% of people are X?
Joe Otten Started conversation Jun 20, 2003
Great article.
Another misuse of statistics is the formulation "10% of young/old people can't/are/aren't/have x" said in such a way as to imply that it is a problem that the number is so big, or so small. Frequently x is defined so as to make the point unimportant, as in "50% of children in our schools have below average reading ability".
It works better in TV and radio than in print as the tone of voice tells you what the conclusion your are supposed to draw is. This is because there is nothing in the statistic itself to tell you whether it is a good thing or a bad thing.
So 30% of 16 year olds have not heard of Margaret Thatcher. Or 70% of 16 year olds have heard of Margaret Thatcher. Somehow the second version makes 16 year olds sound more knowledgeable. (I am making the numbers up)
Key: Complain about this post
Would you believe 10% of people are X?
More Conversations for How To Understand Statistics
Write an Entry
"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a wholly remarkable book. It has been compiled and recompiled many times and under many different editorships. It contains contributions from countless numbers of travellers and researchers."