The uses and abuses of Statistics in

the real world

Statistics is a mathematical branch that deals with the collection,

analysis, interpretation, and presentation of large amounts of numerical

data. The goal of this is to identify common statistical uses and abuses.

Statistics are used to conduct research, evaluate outcomes, develop

critical thinking skills, and make informed decisions. Statistics can be used

to investigate why things happen, when they happen, and whether their

recurrence is predictable in almost any field of study.

Misleading or statistical abuse refers to the intentional or

unintentional misuse of numerical data. The outcomes provide misleading

information that creates false narratives about a subject. Misuse of

statistics is common in advertising, politics, news, and media, among other

places.
According to statistics, abuse occurs when:
Choosing the "average" significance for a sample that best fits your

position when another "average" value would suffice.

Using detached statistics like "9/10 people chose this product less than

other brands" (less than what other brands?)

Use of graph formatting to fool the eye
Creating survey questions that will distort the results
The only example is one of the brand of the soap Bioderm, which is

described as a "skin-friendly soap for the whole family with its 99.9% germ-

killing action and up to 24-hour protection." So it is stated that it kills

bacteria or germs with a 99.9% success rate (where did this 0.1% go, did

they go on vacation?) and that it provides 24 hour protection, so does this

mean that no matter what you touch, you will not be covered with germs?

For example, if you handle poop or other garbage and use this soap after

you bathed, are you already protected? Let's say this is a truly skin-friendly

soap for the entire family, but their statistics are extremely poor, and this is

an abuse of statistics.

Joshua Dolores BSIT-102