When creating a graph to portray a statistic, it is natural to assume that the X and Y axes start at zero. Fig. Data (Mis)representation and COVID-19: L . 2 Cases of COVID Data Being (Mis)represented, https://doi.org/10.1080/26939169.2021.1915215, https://www.causalflows.com/introduction/, https://www.amstat.org/asa/education/Guidelines-for-Assessment-and-Instruction-in-Statistics-Education-Reports.aspx, http://www.thefunctionalart.com/2020/05/about-that-weird-georgia-chart.html, https://www.statisticsteacher.org/2019/09/19/using-locus-released-items/, https://apnews.com/f218e1a38cce6b2af63c1cd23f1d234e, https://twitter.com/MaddowBlog/status/1291553722527604736?s=20, https://www.ajc.com/news/stateregional-govtpolitics/just-cuckoo-state-latest-data-mishap-causes-critics-cry-foul/182PpUvUX9XEF8vO11NVGO/, http://www.stat.auckland.ac.nz/iase/serj/SERJ5(2).pdf#page=30. However, when considering other factors such as the health conditions in which patients arrived at the hospitals we can drive other conclusions. Studies foster informed decision-making, sound judgments, and actions carried out on the weight of evidence, not assumptions. Verify the accuracy of information by checking with trustworthy and credible sources. While numbers dont always have to be fabricated or misleading, it is clear that even societys most trusted numerical gatekeepers are not immune to the carelessness and bias that can arise with statistical interpretation processes. A good rule of thumb is to always take polling with a grain of salt and to try to review the questions that were actually presented. Spain and Italy have large populations, but enormous. But you cannot know until you ask yourself a couple of questions and analyze the results you have in between your hands. In an undergraduate-level context, it is fairly common to reason about side-by-side histograms, or to create them, in statistics courses or quantitative reasoning courses. Statistics are nfi for to ability and capability to existing as misleading and bad data. When the Georgia Department of Public Health posted this plot (see Figure 3), it went viral because of what may have been intentional data manipulation. Next, in our list of bad statistics examples, we have the case of a popular toothpaste brand. Brian Kemp's said: "The x-axis was set up that way to show descending values to more easily demonstrate peak values and counties on those dates, our mission failed. Just one in a long line of brands to falsely claim a product has health benefits, it . Amplify communications from trusted messengers and subject matter experts. As individuals, we can help stop the spread of misinformation by taking the following steps: Everyone has the power to stop misinformation from spreading. Considering the vast differences between, say, mice and elephants, it can be hard to fit 3 ounces and a ton on the same graph. Confusing statistics refers to the improper of numberic data moreover intentionally or by . Educate students and the public on common tactics used by those who spread misinformation online. Ioannidis JP. Although this controversy happened around 1996, the case of Purdue Pharma and their highly addictive drug OxyContin is still affecting thousands of American citizens and has already taken the lives of thousands of others to this date, all due to the misuse of statistics as a marketing tactic. Train journalists, editors, and other media professionals to recognize, correct, and avoid amplifying misinformation. 2 Steven Strogatzs Twitter comment to show a recreation of a plot showing the number of daily cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 in the population of Kansas. Now that weve put the misuse of statistics in context, lets look at various digital age examples of statistics that are misleading across five distinct, but related, spectrums: media and politics, news, advertising, science, and healthcare. Cumulative VS. Convene federal, state, local, territorial, tribal, private, nonprofit, and research partners to explore the impact of health misinformation and establish best practices for prevention. It would be preposterous to say that they cause each other and that is exactly why it is our example. Did we forget to mention the amount of sugar put in the tea or the fact that baldness and old age are related just like cardiovascular disease risks and old age? 1. However, closer inspection reveals that the dates along the horizontal axis are not in order of time, with, for instance, May 1 appearing before April 30 and April 26 appearing in between May 7 (on the left) and May 3 (on the right). While numbers dont lie, they can in fact be used to mislead with half-truths. Not using annotations 12. Recommended articles lists articles that we recommend and is powered by our AI driven recommendation engine. xkdc's comic illustrates this very well, to show how the "fastest-growing" claim is a totally relative marketing speech: Likewise, the needed sample size is influenced by the kind of question you ask, the statistical significance you need (clinical study vs business study), and the statistical technique. Share sensitive information only on official, Making the difference between the two publications a lot bigger than what it actually is, which is just 10%. Strengthen and scale the use of evidence-based educational programs that build resilience to misinformation. Rather its politicians trying to make a point for their own interest or just someone not understanding the information behind the graphs and charts they create, crime statistics are not free of being misleading. The article, titled The Times leaves the rest behind started by displaying a graphic of the exponential growth of The Times website visitors from 2004 to 2006. Scientists! Each kind is calculated differently and gives different information (and a different impression) about the data: You can see the updated version below. Learn everything there is to know about the power of professional area charts. You can be drawn in by the good from what appears to be a reputable source and then can. Look at the About Us page on the website to see if you can trust the source. Nutrition studies have a particularly bad reputation in the news. The misuse of statistics is a much broader problem that now permeates multiple industries and fields of study. However, when taking a closer look at the graph, we can see that the y-axis is reversed, starting with the highest numbers at the bottom and reaching 0 at the top. Moreover, this is a common topic appearing in tertiary introductory statistics courses, as well as courses on quantitative reasoning. organization in the United States. Yes, spin. Drinking tea increases diabetes by 50%, and baldness raises the cardiovascular disease risk up to 70%! By taking the following steps, we can protect ourselves and loved ones from harmful misinformation. Cumulative VS. The scientists estimated that, of the articles on the top 10 list, the ones with very low credibility scores received 2.1 million shares, while the neutral articles received 2.6 million shares, and the most credible ones received 1.7 million shares. Accurate vaccine information is critical and can help stop common myths and rumors. However, at the time this graph was published, many media publications interpreted the graph as if the deaths dropped, showing how damaging the misuse of graphs and numbers can be. Mixing up linear and logarithmic scales. Together, we have the power to build a healthier information environment. Health misinformation has also led to harassment and violence against health workers, airline staff, and other frontline workers tasked with communicating evolving public health measures. The problem with correlations is this: if you measure enough variables, eventually it will appear that some of them correlate. We use cookies to improve your website experience. People also read lists articles that other readers of this article have read. The intent is to convey a shift in focus from cancer screenings to abortion. Using the wrong graph. Population ageing is happening more quickly than in the past. The plot that was originally posted to the Georgia Department of Public Health website (image provided by Twitter user Calling Bullshit, Figure 3) appears to show that the number of COVID-19 cases in the top five counties in the state, at the time, were consistently dropping over the previous month. When an experiment or a survey is led on a totally not significant sample size, not only will the results be unusable, but the way of presenting them - namely as percentages - will be totally misleading. Carefully review information in preprints. This makes it appear that KFCs wrap has half the calories as the ones from Taco Bell, Burger King, or Wendys when is actually just 70 calories less. Looking for U.S. government information and services? Now, the obvious answer is going for option A. First of all, this plot was created for use by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, and it was showcased during an August 5 press conference (video is available here on their Facebook page), and then this plot and the description of what it means was picked up and amplified by multiple news media organizations. A more helpful way to look at this is the NNT (Number needed to treat, defined in statistics using the formula 100/%reduction). From there naturally stems the question: who paid them? Engage with your friends and family on the problem of health misinformation. Misleading Data Visualization Examples 1. The size of India's middle class is 300 million people. Managing Partners: Martin Blumenau, Ruth Pauline Wachter | Trade Register: Berlin-Charlottenburg HRB 144962 B | Tax Identification Number: DE 28 552 2148, News, Insights and Advice for Getting your Data in Shape, BI Blog | Data Visualization & Analytics Blog | datapine, NASAs Goddard Institute for Space Studies. We also discuss the possible source/motivations behind such (mis)representation of the data. Knowing when data is accurate and complete, and being able to identify discrepancies between numbers and any . This is paired with the fact that counties are not always depicted in the same order, but instead in descending order of cases. In the sections that follow we will show two cases of widely disseminated data visualizations that (mis)represent the situation they are describing. Learn how to identify and avoid sharing health misinformation. Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Quality of Health Care in America. Taking that into account, what the graph is actually showing is an increase in deaths using firearms after the law was enacted. They provide great insight, often more so than the answers. These are important questions to ponder and answer before spreading everywhere skewed or biased results even though it happens all the time, because of amplification. Manipulating the Y-axis+ 6. Example #1. Here are common types of misuse of statistics: Now that you know them, it will be easier to spot them and question all the stats that are given to you every day. When Research Evidence is Misleading. More recently, other studies led by Dr. Loeb found similarly misleading information about prostate cancer on TikTok and Instagram. In this case, the goal is not association, but comparison, thereby making it a bit more difficult to initially interpret the data. We found 18 examples of false advertising scandals that have rocked big brands some are still ongoing and not all companies have had to pay up, but each dealt with a fair amount of negative. For instance, of 100 patients that arrived in poor condition in Hospital A, 30 survived. Small samples underrepresent your target audience. The top 10 most-shared articles that were reviewed by clinicians and scientists for accuracy were: The example above is an example of selective bias; the biologists were recruited, not randomly selected. pastor tom mount olive baptist church 0 lego harry potter sets retiring 2022 what is my locality in address. Give researchers access to useful data to properly analyze the spread and impact of misinformation. For these reasons, a firm understanding of data science is an essential skill for professionals. Examples of misuse of statistics in the media are very common. In 2006, The Times, a popular UK newspaper, printed a story about how they were the leading paper both online and in print in the UK. There are plenty of examples available, but looking to the world of hockey, a team that gets the puck in their opponents' end during a power play and just cycle for two minutes without taking a shot actually waste a two minute opportunity with puck possession. Do numbers lie? Moreover, in both the Pre-K12 and College Report of the Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education documents (Bargagliotti etal. Health Misinformation Current Priorities of the U.S. Health (2 days ago) Office of the U.S. Therefore, using the first graph, and only the first graph, to disprove global warming is a perfect misleading statistics example. Omitting the baseline 5. secure websites. To illustrate this point further, lets assume that a study has found a correlation between an increase in car accidents in the state of New York in the month of June (A), and an increase in bear attacks in the state of New York in the month of June (B). These two questions are likely to provoke far different responses, even though they deal with the same topic of government assistance. This is a useful way to show how the use of two vertical axes can aid in visualizing association between two phenomena, particularly because the two vertical axes are different unitsallowing for a more accurate comparison. 4 Plot published in Acquah (Citation2020, May) utilizing two vertical axes to compare ice cream consumption and drowning deaths across time to represent association. Move with urgency toward coordinated, at-scale investment to tackle misinformation. We took a very obvious one to show you below. 5) How To Avoid & Identify The Misuse Of Statistics? The birth rate for . Each year, millions of research hypotheses are tested. Misinformation is information that is false, inaccurate, or misleading according to the best available evidence at the time. What is a conclusion you could draw from this plot that would not make much sense (i.e., pushing them to make the causation error)? About eight-in-ten U.S. murders in 2021 - 20,958 out of 26,031, or 81% - involved a firearm. It is fixed". Proactively address the publics questions. First of all, the X-axis does not have a label, even though according to the chart, it is meant to show the number of cases over time, this doesn't happen. Since the ruling, it has apologised for the 'error'. Partner with community groups and other local organizations to prevent and address health misinformation. Content. After a discussion, and a conclusion that attempts to make a generalized claim beyond the data (i.e., an inference; also a seventh-grade standard), the adjusted plot (Figure 2) could be shared with questions such as: Does the conclusion still hold when the plot is adjusted to accurately depict the two situations? As mentioned at the beginning of this article, it has been shown that a third of the scientists admitted that they had questionable research practices, including withholding analytical details and modifying results! On top of that, the numbers can be hard to interpret, whether that's a . The image below is a great example of this misleading practice. We all need access to trusted sources of information to stay safe and healthy. In the field of healthcare, statistics is important for the following reasons: Reason 1: Statistics allows healthcare professionals to monitor the health of individuals using descriptive statistics.. Reason 2: Statistics allows healthcare professionals to quantify the relationship between . 3099067 Misleading graphs are a source of misinformation that worry many experts. Now that weve looked at examples and common cases of misuse of statistics, you might be wondering, how do I avoid all of this? PLoS Med. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic misinformation has caused people to decline COVID-19 vaccines, reject public health measures such as masking and physical distancing, and use unproven treatments. The selective bias is slightly more discreet for those who do not read the small lines. We all need access to trusted sources of information to stay safe and healthy. Assess the impact of health misinformation. This video can be used for educational and training purposes. The lack of statistical literacy from the public, paired with the fact that organizations didnt always share accurate statistical information, lead to widespread misrepresentation of data. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons CC BY license, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Statistics are infamous for their ability and potential to exist as misleading and bad data. Prioritize early detection of misinformation super-spreaders and repeat offenders. Citation2020; GAISE College Report ASA Revision Committee Citation2016), in particular as it relates to being a critical consumer of statistics. Advanced technology solutions like online reporting software can enhance statistical data models, and provide digital age businesses with a step up on their competition. Here is a guide from the CDC on the myths and facts about COVID-19 vaccination. Television is not the only media platform that can provide examples of bad statistics in the news. (, Adults Statistical Literacy: Meaning, Components, Responsibilities, National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School Officers. Register a free Taylor & Francis Online account today to boost your research and gain these benefits: Data (Mis)representation and COVID-19: Leveraging Misleading Data Visualizations For Developing Statistical Literacy Across Grades 616, a School of Teacher Preparation, Administration & Leadership, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, b Department of Curriculum and Instruction, University of Houston, Houston, TX, GAISE College Report ASA Revision Committee. Especially people with a low graph literacy are thought to be persuaded by graphs that misrepresent the underlying data. This rare disease causes the spine of a baby to form improperly and can lead to serious mobility impairments and possible organ malfunctions. In addition to our cases motivating discussion of association, the plots also offer an important consideration of how scaling modifications can mislead the consumer. However, some survival rate statistics can be misleading because they don't take into account differences in patient characteristics, such as age, sex, and stage of disease. Here are five techniques for fudging the numbers with misleading statistics examples: Technique #1: Citing Misleading "Averages" The first technique is using the word "average" without specifying what kind of average a figure represents. Tufte (Citation2001) talked about this in his book, The Visual Display of Quantitative Information, making a point that having two vertical axes on a time series plot can be very useful when attempting to show a plausible association between two things. If you are the one performing the analysis, for instance generating reports for your job, you can ask yourself a few relevant questions to avoid using misleading statistics. See examples and a list of best practices here! If you still want to use the data to make a point, you can make sure to mention the small sample size as a disclaimer. Given the importance of data in todays rapidly evolving digital world, it is important to be familiar with the basics of misleading statistics and oversight.

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