2004 Presidential 2004 Presidential ElectionElection

The following two slides show The following two slides show each candidate’s predicted each candidate’s predicted percentage of votes from the percentage of votes from the polls taken two weeks before polls taken two weeks before the election.the election.

Candidate 1's Poll Predictions

4748495051525354555657585960

Oct18th

Oct19th

Oct20th

Oct21st

Oct22nd

Oct23rd

Oct25th

Oct26th

Oct27th

Oct28th

Oct29th

Oct31st

Nov1st

Dates

Predicted Percentage of Votes

Candidate 2's Poll Predictions

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Oct18th

Oct19th

Oct20th

Oct21st

Oct22nd

Oct23rd

Oct25th

Oct26th

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Predicted Percentage of Votes

Who do you think Who do you think won?won?

Candidate 1:Candidate 1:Candidate 2:Candidate 2:

Candidate 1's Poll Predictions

4748495051525354555657585960

Oct18th

Oct19th

Oct20th

Oct21st

Oct22nd

Oct23rd

Oct25th

Oct26th

Oct27th

Oct28th

Oct29th

Oct31st

Nov1st

Dates

Predicted Percentage of Votes

Candidate 2's Poll Predictions

0

10

20

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50

Oct18th

Oct19th

Oct20th

Oct21st

Oct22nd

Oct23rd

Oct25th

Oct26th

Oct27th

Oct28th

Oct29th

Oct31st

Nov1st

Dates

Predicted Percentage of Votes

How was the data How was the data misrepresented?misrepresented?

By the By the ScaleScale that was chosen that was chosen By the By the IntervalInterval that was chosen that was chosen

More Examples….More Examples….

More ExamplesMore Examples

Ways to misrepresent Ways to misrepresent datadata

By the By the ScaleScale that is chosen that is chosen By the By the IntervalInterval that is chosen that is chosen Not starting at 0Not starting at 0 No titleNo title No labelsNo labels

Can you find what is wrong Can you find what is wrong with these next graphs?with these next graphs?

These graphs represent the increase in cellular phone use from 1990 to 2000.

Which graph makes it look like there was a greater increase in cell phone use?

These graphs represent the number of cars sold by a particular dealership from 1995 to 1999.

Which graph makes it look like there was little decrease in sales?

Other ways to misrepresent Other ways to misrepresent data…..data…..

In a company, there are 10 In a company, there are 10 employees that make $10,000 a employees that make $10,000 a year. The boss makes $80,000 a year. The boss makes $80,000 a year. A job recruiter tells year. A job recruiter tells interested applicants that the interested applicants that the typical salary for the company typical salary for the company is $16,363 a year.is $16,363 a year.

What measure (mean, median, or What measure (mean, median, or mode) did the job recruiter mode) did the job recruiter use?use? MeanMean

What measure should the job What measure should the job recruiter have used?recruiter have used? MedianMedian

When do we use Mean, When do we use Mean, Median, or Mode?Median, or Mode?

Mean—when the data values are Mean—when the data values are close together.close together.

Median—when there are extreme Median—when there are extreme values.values.Be sure there are no big gaps in the Be sure there are no big gaps in the middle of the data.middle of the data.

Mode—when there are many Mode—when there are many identical numbers.identical numbers.

Ways to Misrepresent Ways to Misrepresent DataData

By the By the ScaleScale that is chosen that is chosen By the By the IntervalInterval that is chosen that is chosen Not starting at 0Not starting at 0 No titleNo title No labelsNo labels Using an inappropriate measure of Using an inappropriate measure of center (mean, median, or mode).center (mean, median, or mode).

SourcesSources http://www.glencoe.com/sec/math/prealg/prehttp://www.glencoe.com/sec/math/prealg/prealg03/extra_examples/chapter12/lesson12_5.alg03/extra_examples/chapter12/lesson12_5.pdfpdf

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