Vocabulary

Misleading Graphs - these are graphs that are created in a way to sway the reader to draw a false conclusion.

Mean - the average found by adding all the data and dividing by the number of elements in the data set.

Median - the middle number when the data is listed from the least to the greatest.

Mode - this is the most commonly occurring data. There can be no mode, one mode, or more than one mode.

Concepts

Recognize when graphs or statistics are misleading to influence one to draw inaccurate conclusions. Graphs can be misleading by having unequal increments, not starting at zero, and a skewed perspective. 

Statistics can be misleading by using central tendency data that does not accurately reflect the overall data set.

Rules

Carefully analyze the given graph for misleading information. Compare the mean, median, or mode of the data to make sure it accurately reflects the trend in the given data set. 

Example

Identify why the graph is misleading.

Solution

This graph is misleading because the x axis starts at 4 instead of zero. 

Pre-requisite Skills

None.