Preview

lies,damned lies and statistics

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
2353 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
lies,damned lies and statistics
1. Introduction
"Lies, damned lies, and statistics" is a phrase describing the persuasive power of numbers, particularly the use of statistics to bolster weak arguments. It is also sometimes colloquially used to doubt statistics used to prove an opponent's point.
The term was popularised in the United States by Mark Twain (among others), who attributed it to the 19th-century British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli (1804–1881): "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics."
This Line stresses on the fact that common errors, both intentional and unintentional, associated with the interpretation of statistics, and how these errors can lead to inaccurate conclusions.
It is a phrase attributed to the power associated with figures. The phrase is commonly used to doubt statistics given to support government positions.

2. The ideology behind this phrase
Numbers and formulas are supposed to represent "objective scientific data" you cannot deny and examined by intelligent and experienced experts. Now the complete liar wants his forgeries to look undeniably "scientific", so why not use the magic of numbers that the not-so-math-literate masses could never deny? They say that statistics don't lie, and while that may be true, liars do use statistics.
So it is with much that you read and hear. Averages and relationships and trends and graphs are not always what they seem. There may be more in them than meets the eye, and there may be a good deal less.
The secret language of statistics, so appealing in a factminded culture, is employed to sensationalize, inflate, confuse, and oversimplify. Statistical methods and statistical terms are necessary in reporting the mass data of social and economic trends, business conditions, 'opinion' polls, the census. But without writers who use the words with honesty and understanding and readers who know what they mean, the result can only be semantic nonsense.
3. Use of this phrase in various places:-
In

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    How could graphics and/or statistics be used to misrepresent data? Where have you seen this done? Statistics, graphics, and database are used in medical field to approve, prove, or disapprove theories, analysis, and interpretation of ailments, medication and it’s impact, and treatment and it’s effectiveness. However, these data can be easily misinterpreted when and where there is a vested interest. Individual opinions are generalized without considering whole aspects of the issue, thus forming a biased opinion.…

    • 252 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Chapter 12 Supplement

    • 456 Words
    • 2 Pages

    One of the most important things a buyer must do before making a purchase is to review any and all of the statistical research on a product. According to Bluman (2005), Statistical research is used to provide knowledge and information in order to enable us to make intelligent decisions about our health and welfare” (p.680). Although this information is very important to us, we must also be skeptical of the results. There are many types when the results cannot be reliable. According to Bluman (2005), “statistics can be misrepresented in the following ways: Suspect Samples, Ambiguous Averages, Detached Statistics, Implied Connections, Misleading Graphs, Faulty Survey Questions, Asking Biased Questions, Using Confusing Words, Asking Doubled-Barreled Questions, and Using Double Negatives” (p.680-685). The following are example of misuses of statistics.…

    • 456 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    This report is based upon the book “Damned Lies and Statistics: Untangling Numbers from the Media, Politicians, and Activists”, written by Joel Best and published by University of California Press in 2001. Joel Best, a professor of sociology and criminal justice at the University of Delaware, has written a highly readable treatise on statistics, and how we can become better consumers of the statistical information that permeates the environment in which we live. Joel Best is a sociologist and, as a result, this is not a book about the mathematics of statistics, but about its sociology. That is, a book about the ways in which bad statistics are generated and spread through society.…

    • 664 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Cited: Ericsson, Stephanie. “The Ways We Lie.” The Bedford Reader. ED. X.J. Kennedy, Dorothy M.…

    • 1120 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Week 1 Qnt 351

    • 592 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Statistics is defined in Statistics for Business and Economics, as the science of data. Involves collecting, classifying, organizing, analyzing, and interpreting numerical information. Statistics is more than just looking at numbers, there is a process involved in obtaining the numerical information. Statistical thinking is helpful as well. This involves applying rational thought and the science of statistics to critically assess data and inferences. It is important to keep in mind that variations exist in populations and processed data.…

    • 592 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Money Ball Statistics

    • 748 Words
    • 3 Pages

    When you think of the word statistics, what is the first thing you think of? If this is Mrs. Miller reading this than you are probably thinking about math. However, most sports fans would think about baseball. They cannot have a conversation about baseball without mentioning someone’s statistics. The player’s stats tell all about what he has done is his time playing the sport. It can even tell who is better at each category like hitting, fielding, or pitching. Most baseball fans already know this, but what they don’t know is the pain staking process these mathematician’s go through to compile these statistics.…

    • 748 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    2.1.4

    • 891 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The data presented was biased as it did not present all of the pertinent information. The number of…

    • 891 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Sociology M2-D1

    • 803 Words
    • 3 Pages

    But despite this weakness, the fact that this explanation uses quantitative methods for collecting data shows that it is more reliable. This explanation is strengthened further because the evidence collected can be used to talk about a vast amount of people in general.…

    • 803 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Population and Sampling

    • 737 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Statistical data dates back to as early as Ancient Greek time, where it was introduced by John Graunt, William Petty and Pascal in the 16th century. It was then re-introduced by Gottfriend Achenwall in the 17th century. This was a very exciting time for scientists, astronomers and physicists alike as it raised the confidence and knowing that the laws of nature were not of divine intervention. As the years went on, new mathematical discoveries were made such as census data, economy, mortality demographics, and the International Statistical Congresses, which all led to changing its name to “statistics”.…

    • 737 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “Liar!” How do we know? Can you guess? We use a lie detector. Lie detector tells us if people are lying. Sometimes we can automatically tell and sometimes we can’t, that’s when we use the lie detector. Lie detectors have 95% accuracy and are mostly reliable, but they are the easy to cheat.…

    • 811 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    All statistical procedures have underlying assumptions, some more stringent than others. In some cases, violation of these assumptions will not change substantive research conclusions. In other cases, violation of assumptions will undermine meaningful research. Establishing that one's data meet the assumptions of the procedure one is using in an expected component of all quantitatively based journal articles, theses, and dissertations.…

    • 802 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    4. Failure to Understand the Average-Marginal Distinction Margins and averages are extremely important in studying and using…

    • 257 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    It’s been made clear by the author, that the average American citizen does not possess an optimal knowledge on mathematics. Assuming that his words reflect the truth, naturally. The sole fact that society has converted the incapacity of an adult to perform basic mental processes into a laughing matter, reveals the alarming condition of the country’s masses. Therefore, without any developed mathematical skills, it wouldn’t be too implausible to believe that a standard individual is unable to tell, or at least estimate, the consistency of any given statistic. Nonetheless, Joel Best’s goal is not to prove the inefficiency of the education system, but the credulity and lack of judgment of the general public.…

    • 599 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    While doing my research I came across a new way to detect lies. Justin McLachlan of…

    • 1284 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    This quotation is effective towards his presentation because it is actual statistics that have been proven. It is not just a student saying this because they are complaining…

    • 897 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays