Statistical Studies: Misleading Graphs (Practice) ~amdm

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. What is deceptive about the graph? a. The vertical scale needs more intervals between values. b. Sales for February and March appear to be greater than they actually are. c. Sales for January appear to be much smaller than they actually are. d. All of the above.

B. Sales for February and March appear to be greater than they actually are.

Use the graph below. Explain why the intervals on the horizontal axis could make the graph misleading. a. The intervals are not comparable. The shorter bar spans more than 10 years. b. The intervals are appropriately labeled. c. The intervals are not comparable, but the data on the graph is not misleading. d. The vertical axis does not have an appropriate scale.

A. The intervals are not comparable. The shorter bar spans more than 10 years.

Eighty percent of all dentists surveyed agree: Zilch toothpaste tastes best. Do you think this information is misleading? Why or why not? a. Yes, because it does not state how many dentists were surveyed. b. Yes, because it does not state on the graph what percentage agrees with the statement. c. No, because the graph shows eighty percent of the dentists agreeing with the statement. d. No, because it states which toothpaste was used in the survey.

A. Yes, because it does not state how many dentists were surveyed

Which magazine actually has twice the circulation of Circuitry Today? a. American Ampersand b. Waffleball World c. Fossil Week d. None of them

C. Fossil Week

Below are two graphs that show the same data. Graph A is drawn with a break in the vertical axis. Graph B is drawn without the break. Describe the effect the change in scale has on what the graph suggests. a. On graph B, the group of birds seems to have twice as much as the group of mammals. b. The differences between the groups seems much less in Graph A. c. The differences between the groups seems much less in Graph B. d. On graph A, the group of mammals seems to have one-quarter as much as the group of fish.

C. The differences between the groups seems much less in Graph B

Just look at the graph," the player's agent said. "Phil's hits have doubled since last year. We are looking for a large raise and a long contract." Look at the graph. Is the agent's claim misleading? Why or why not? a. No, the top line is twice the length of the bottom line showing that Phil has doubled his number of hits. b. Yes, although one line is twice the length of the other, it does not show twice the number of hits. c. Yes, the horizontal scale does not have uniform increments starting with zero. d. Both b and c.

D. Both b and c.

Employee annual wages at a plant rose steadily, but very gradually, from one year to the next during one 5-year period. An employee representative wants to show that wages are rising minimally. Examine the following charts and decide which graph the employee representative would want to use and why. a. The employee representative would want to use Graph B to show how much the employee wages have gained over the 5-year period. b. The employee representative would want to use Graph B to show the decrease in slope. c. The employee representative would want to use Graph A to show that wages have been at a constant level for the past 5-year period. d. The employee representative would want to use Graph A to show that wages are rising minimally because Graph A appears to show the wages increasing at a much slower rate than Graph B.

D. The employee representative would want to use Graph A to show that wages are rising minimally because Graph A appears to show the wages increasing at a much slower rate than Graph B.

Explain why the graph below might be misleading. a. The graph is not misleading. b. The horizontal axis has intervals that are not comparable. c. The bars are in different colors, so it skews the information. d. The graph has no scale, so it's impossible to compare the money earned.

D. The graph has no scale, so it's impossible to compare the money earned.

These data tables show sales of the Earn a Million-a-Day At Home video. Read the table, and then examine the graphs below. The graphs show the same data. Why do they have different appearances?

Possible Answer: One graph has a break in the vertical axis. There are different size intervals on the vertical scale.

Employee annual wages at a plant rose steadily, but very gradually, from one year to the next during one 5-year period. The factory owner wants to show that worker's wages are rising rapidly. Examine the following charts and decide which graph the factory owner would want to use and why.

Possible Answer: The factory owner would want to use Graph B to show the rapid rise in his employees wages because Graph B shows the greater increase in slope.