Damned Lies and Statistics is a book concerning statistics by Joel Best, it was first published in 2001. This work focused on many examples of erroneous statistics used to sway the consumer about social problems and issues that affect public policy. This work identified the use corrupt statistics, their production, dissemination by the media and authorities. Common errors, deception, and misuse of statistics were demonstrated. All aspects of our lives can be swayed by statistics and if the information is tainted so is the potential that our perceptions and views will be negatively altered. Medicine, public health, social issues, finance and all areas of our lives can be falsely influenced by false statistics. Statistics are in the eye …show more content…
Best points out that many are innumerate and do not understand numbers. Numbers the bigger they are they more difficult they are to engage(Best,2001). When reviewing research, it usually is easy to find differing points of views. Additionally, research and statistics can be injected from one hypothesis to another. Research used for economic theory can be transposed to criminal theory, even though the intent of the original research was something completely different. Statistics can be cited by the author or presenter without them ever disclosing their true intent, therefore, considering the source may have some merit. Great work is published next to questionable, and some work was pertinent in its time period but now is completely irrelevant. Best gives an example of a nineteenth-century bishop who used hyped statistics to cause social reform against prostitution. The bishop said there fewer Methodists than prostitutes, elevating the number of 10,000 to as much as 50,000 in New York City. The police at that time counted 1,223 prostitutes (Best,2001). Providing inflated statistics is common, numbers get people’s attention. This heightens data from the bishop prompted New York City to attempt to count the prostitutes. Perhaps one safeguard in judging numbers knows multiple sources of data. Not only is it important to share what we know, and search for other …show more content…
Serial killer’s murders were overstated, and death of women by anorexia was inflated (Best,2001) many expert testimonies, published work, and social reform advocacy relies on faulty statistics. When we hear numbers somehow, it offers credibility and facts are hardly ever facts. Sometimes they are not valid opinions. Probably what is most enlightening is that we are swayed by numbers, as Best points outs this may be because of our lack of statistical sophistication. Do the statistics given by the media at large genuinely represent society? Reliable statistics are based on real data, distinct rational criteria and measurements and accurate sampling
Although the scientific use of anthropometrics in not abused in modern day society, scientists still incorrectly draw conclusions from data and statistics. Many statically fallacies occur where scientists will try and bend the statistics to prove their own personal opinion. For example, a scientist may deem his new invention or product to be 100% successful, but it could have only been tested 5 times. Even though the abuse of anthropometrics has been abandoned, scientific data abuse is still apparent in modern day
Overall, John M. Barry was able to define and characterize scientific research. Using rhetorical strategies such as, comparison, specific diction, and contrast Barry is able to show how scientific research is uncertainty
Joel Best’s Damned Lies and Statistics is a book all about recognizing statistics that are legitimate and others that are really quite horrible. The goal of this book is not that the average every day person be able to read a statistical table from a scholarly journal, but rather that anyone could personally value a statistic he or she may come across in a newspaper article or on a news program. Best was essentially effective in achieving his goal; however, he was effective to the point of overdoing his job of showing that there are bad statistics which give readers cause to evaluate them outside of hearing them on the news.
CQ Researcher published the article. They are an authority with where they stand in the world; meaning they are very informational and helpful. It is scholarly reviewed. By comparing it to my other sources, this source has more information and helps a lot more than the rest of my sources. The article is objective and informational. The goal of this article is to inform people on the statistics and how we can help lower the numbers.
The films effective use of statistics undoubtedly enhances its credibility. For example, the film states that one in every four college students will not make it to their sophomore
Although a hierarchy of evidence is argued by many policymakers and researchers alike, others argue that no one method of research is automatically any better than any...
Thus, the content within an article can either sustains the viewer’s attention, or prove the headline has no reliability. implies that the recession is causing more violence; Viewers may see initial read this article, because it simply sparks interest. Consequently, when I read the actual data research; there is no evidence that supports the headline. For example, LIZ SINTAY and IMAEYEN IBANGA (2009) stated “Forty-seven percent of teens said they had been victimized personally by controlling behaviors from a boyfriend or girlfriend”. In addition to this statement, the article incorporate other statements that are geared towards teen dating violence prevalence and and behavioral tendencies; rather than economic recession. Conversely, Sintay and Ibanga (2009) open the article with the statement“Teens are experiencing an alarmingly high level of abuse in their dating relationships, which the economic recession has appeared to make worse,”. a claim which is not validated with any relevant research data; but only common with the headline.
Until the 1960’s, attitudes toward prostitution were based on the Judeo-Christian view of immortality. Researchers have recently attempted to separate moral issues from the reality of prostitution. The rationale for its continued illegal status in the U.S. rests on three assumptions: prostitution is responsible for much ancillary crime; and prostitution is the cause of an increase in sexually transmittted disease. These assumptions are now the question.
During these difficult economic times sensationalism has become more prevalent in the media. Stories involving sex scandals and child murders have taken over our T.V and internet screens as well as the front pages of our newspapers. The media bias of sensationalism has been used as a sort of escapism for readers. Although it may seem that sensationalism has just started making waves, it has been around for decades. Sensationalism has been influencing viewers and contributing to media bias since the days of the penny press. Sensationalisms long history has been turbulent, self-serving, and influential to today’s reporting practices. With the influence over readers’ sensationalism’s media bias have and will continue to affect media reporting for years to come.
...en Goldachre. (2011). The statistical error that just keeps on coming. Available: http://www.guardian.co.uk/. Last accessed 10/12/2011.
This chapter taught me the importance of understanding statistical data and how to evaluate it with common sense. Almost everyday we are subjected to statistical data in newspapers and on TV. My usual reaction was to accept those statistics as being valid. Which I think is a fair assessment for most people. However, reading this chapter opens my eyes to the fact that statistical data can be very misleading. It shows how data can be skewed to support a certain group’s agenda. Although most statistical data presented may not seem to affect us personally in our daily lives, it can however have an impact. For example, statistics can influence the way people vote on certain issues.
Whenever a society perceives that there has been an increase in a particular type of crime due to increased media coverage this is known as a crime wave. Although this does not necessarily mean that there has been an increase in that particular crime and some evidence shows that there can actually be a decrease in crime (AIC, 2010). Defined as being generated when moral outrage is created by the media, a moral panic creates labelling certain groups or activities as being deviant and a threat to the social and moral order. (Mesko, Cockcroft, Crawford and Lemaitre, 2009). This falls under Labelling theory, as identified by Becker in 1963. The media convey a sensationalised image of crime and a protective view of police and policing practices – and make unusual events usual in our lives (White & Perrone, 2012). As quoted by Schnideler & Ewart “Crime waves are great headlines and can be an ongoing source of stories for new media”. To demonstrate these two effects, in an American campaign concerning missing and exploited children the media reported that “thousands of children” were being kidnapped and are missing, creating a public “moral panic”. Reputable sources such as Time Magazine joined in on extraordinary claims that over 800,000 children went missing every year in America. Local television stations also took to broadcasting images of missing children on a daily basis combined these media activities created the illusion of a crime wave. As a result surveys taken then revealed that 75% of America’s parents lived in fear that a stranger may abduct their child (Israel & Swartz, 2000). There were similar findings in the UK where research into the British medias reporting of a specific crime and whether it had a major impact on parents. In a survey of 1,000 parents
Without studies and statistics the entire argument for Simmons would have no backbone. Simmons mentions over 30 studies throughout the entire book. While investigating to see
Freedman goes on to explain that the FCC has no substantial scientific evidence stating that there is a correlation between fictional violence and real-world aggression among young audiences. He has completed research in 1984 and 2002 on the relationship between media violence to actual acts of violence on the street. Because he has completed research projects related to this topic, Freedman’s statistical evidence shows that there is a reduction in youth violence and it essentially does not cause real-world crimes (Freedman Par. 1). The FCC continues to claim that exposure to media violence does in fact increase aggression, and yet their readers continue to believe their fabrications. Freedman argues that people who research media violence tend to disregard and omit the opposing facts.
Whether or not people notice the importance of statistics, people is using them in their everyday life. Statistics have been more and more important for different cohorts of people from a farmer to an academician and a politician. For example, Cambodian famers produce an average of three tons or rice per hectare, about eighty per cent of Cambodian population is a farmer, at least two million people support party A, and so on. According to the University of Melbourne, statistics are about to make conclusive estimates about the present or to predict the future (The University of Melbourne, 2009). Because of their significance, statistics are used for different purposes. Statistics are not always trustable, yet they depend on their reliable factors such as sample, data collection methods and sources of data. This essay will discuss how people can use statistics to present facts or to delude others. Then, it will discuss some of the criteria for a reliable statistic interpretation.