Mathematics

Mathematics

Problem

## EXPLORATION 1 Test Your Statistical Savvy Each one of the following scenarios contains at least one common misuse of statistics. How many can you catch? 1. A researcher reported finding a high correlation between aggression in children and gender. 2. Based on a survey of shoppers at the city's busiest mall on two consecutive weekday afternoons, the mayor's staff concluded that 68%68 \% of the voters would support his re-election. 3. A doctor recommended vanilla chewing gum to headache sufferers, noting that he had tested it himself on 100 of his patients, 87 of whom reported feeling better within two hours. 4. A school system studied absenteeism in its secondary schools and found a negative correlation between student GPA and student absences. They concluded that absences cause a student's grade to go down.

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