1. Are the Statistics Deceptive?
Chapter 11
Are the Statistics Deceptive?

2. 1. Statistics can lie, therefore statisticians are liars.
a. True
b. False 10

3. 2. In looking at given statistics, you must determine if the average is
a mean, a nice, or a mode
legitimate
a mode, a mean, or a median 20

4. 1. When is “average” really not average?
when the highest is number is so huge it skews the mean
when there is an inadequate sample of values to begin with
both a and b 10

5. 4. The gap between the largest and smallest values is called the
range
intermediate zone
great divide 10

6. 5. The distribution of an average refers to
a fair share of profits
how frequently each of the values occur
reporting the average in several publications 15

7. 6. In an attempt to deceive the audience, authors may conclude one thing, then prove another with statistics.
a. True
b. False 10

8. 7. You must pay close attention to both the wording of the ______ and the wording of the ______ to determine if they refer to the ______ thing.
statistics, conclusion, same
facts, statistics, same 10

9. 8. A strategy for locating deception in statistics is to blind yourself to the writer’s statistics and
turn around 3 times before picking a number
compare the needed statistical evidence for the conclusion with the statistics actually provided
figure out the validity of the conclusion using your own Google research 20

10. 9. Another strategy for assessing statistics is to blind yourself to the conclusion, then ask
What do these statistics reasonably add up to?
Where is the author getting these statistics?
Would someone please remove my blindfold? 15

11. 10. Leaving out specific pieces of statistical information can make a writer or speaker guilty of deception by
commission
association
omission 10