Statistical Studies: Misleading Graphs (Quiz)~amdm

Describe how the graph below is deceptive. How would you change it so that it is not misleading? a. It appears that Mike's grade point average for the second quarter is 3 times his first quarter average. Change the intervals on the vertical scale so they are consistent. b. It appears that Mike's grade point average for the second quarter was significantly larger than his first quarter average. Change the width of the bars to display the correct scale. c. It appears that Mike's grade point average for the second quarter is 2 times his first quarter average. Change the intervals on the horizontal scale so they are consistent. d. There is no way to change the graph so it is not misleading.

A. It appears that Mike's grade point average for the second quarter is 3 times his first quarter average. Change the intervals on the vertical scale so they are consistent.

The following graphs show the performance of two stocks over the first five months of the year. Which graph appears to show the best performance? Which scale makes the graph appear to be rising more slowly? a. Stock XYZ shows the best performance. The scale of Stock ABC makes the graph appear to be rising more slowly. b. Stock ABC shows the best performance. The scale of Stock ABC makes the graph appear to be rising more slowly. c. Stock XYZ shows the best performance. The scale of Stock XYZ makes the graph appear to be rising more slowly. d. Stock ABC shows the best performance. The scale of Stock XYZ makes the graph appear to be rising more slowly.

A. Stock XYZ shows the best performance. The scale of Stock ABC makes the graph appear to be rising more slowly.

In every bar graph, line graph, or scatter plot, the vertical axis should include the following: a. zero c. missing elements b. bars to represent the data d. horizontal axis

A. zero

In analyzing a line graph, why is slope important? a. The slope should be negative. c. The spacing for each axis must be chosen so that the line reflects a positive slope. b. The slope of the line reflects the actual trend of the data. d. The slope of a line is not important in analyzing a line graph.

B. The slope of the line reflects the actual trend of the data.

A sales representative for a new soft drink is trying to convince a chain of food stores to order a much larger quantity. The salesperson uses the graph below in the sales pitch. How would you change the graph so that it is not misleading? a. The vertical scale needs more intervals between values. b. The horizontal scale needs more intervals between values. c. Diameters should be the same, so only the heights are compared. d. The labels should be changed to reflect the greater sales.

C. Diameters should be the same, so only the heights are compared.

The makers of Brand Z paper towel claim that their brand is twice as strong as Brand X and they use this graph to support their claim. Do you agree with this claim? Why or why not? a. Yes, because the bar for Brand Z is twice as tall as the bar for Brand X. b. Yes, because the strength of Brand Z is twice that of Brand X. c. No, because paper towel brands are all alike. d. No, because the vertical scale exaggerates the differences between brands.

D. No, because the vertical scale exaggerates the differences between brands.

A news channel on cable T.V. polled politicians on an issue to find out who agreed with a court decision. This is the graphic they used in their report. What makes this graph misleading? a. The horizontal scale only shows three parties. It needs to show every party. b. The vertical scale is too broad. It needs to focus in on a narrower range. c. The horizontal scale exaggerates the differences between the parties. d. The vertical scale is too narrow. It needs to be a wider range, such as 0 to 100.

D. The vertical scale is too narrow. It needs to be a wider range, such as 0 to 100.

Three printing companies were rated on their performance using a percentage scale. This graph shows how they were rated. Which company was rated the best? a. There is insufficient information to determine which company was rated best. b. Superior Printing was rated best, because the bar is wider. c. Quicky Printing was rated best, because the bar comes first in the series. d. All three companies were rated to be equal.

NOT B

Car A and Car B were in a race. The driver of Car B claimed that his car was twice as fast as Car A. Do you agree with this claim? Why or why not? a. Yes, because the bar for Car B is twice as tall as the bar for Car A. b. Yes, because the speed of Car B is twice that of Car A. c. No, because Car B was only 10 mi/hr faster than Car A. d. No, because the vertical scale exaggerates the differences in speed.

NOT C

The AAA Cable Company uses this graph to compare their costs to the costs of a competitor. The competitor charges a $20 installation fee and $1.10 per day. AAA Cable has no installation fee and charges $1.30 per day. What can be done to make this graph less misleading? a. Change the vertical scale to increments of $10 instead of increments of $5. b. Change the horizontal scale to increments of 10 days instead of increments of 1 day. c. Change the vertical scale to increments of $1 instead of increments of $5. d. Change the horizontal scale to increments of 1/2 days instead of increments of 1 day.

NOT C