question archive In what way might an average be misused? Alternatively, how might an average be misinterpreted? For instance, how can a misinterpreted average pertain to stereotyping? How can we avoid misuse or misinterpretation of averages? Provide a specific example to illustrate your explanation
In what way might an average be misused? Alternatively, how might an average be misinterpreted? For instance, how can a misinterpreted average pertain to stereotyping? How can we avoid misuse or misinterpretation of averages? Provide a specific example to illustrate your explanation
Subject:StatisticsPrice:13.86 Bought3
In what way might an average be misused? Alternatively, how might an average be misinterpreted? For instance, how can a misinterpreted average pertain to stereotyping? How can we avoid misuse or misinterpretation of averages? Provide a specific example to illustrate your explanation.
Purchase A New Answer
Custom new solution created by our subject matter experts
GET A QUOTE
Answer Preview
The average is a fundamental statistical tool. If there is skewness in the data, it can provide false information. There may be some outliers when we calculate averages. These outliers may cause the average results to gravitate towards them. Outliers are variables that have the potential to change the average outcome. The average outcomes may suffer as a result of this. This can lead to a misunderstanding of the entire data structure. All of these factors can lead to an overestimation or underestimate of specific events. A good average is one that is unaffected by sampling irregularities.
In commonly used language average means any feature that most people have like average income, average life expectance. But looking at the different data the average might lead to wrong interpretation of the data. The quantitative average and qualitative average if mistaken for each other, becomes the major source of misinterpretation. The qualitative average means quality occurring in most samples but quantitative average might not even exist once in the data and referring and judging the sample set based on quantitative average without considering the dispersion often leads to misunderstanding of data.
A misinterpretation of data can be shown in following example. In a class having ten students, teacher took a test with full mark twenty and pass mark ten to know if she needs to take extra class for that subject. The five student scored 8 and five scored 20. The average marks of class is 14 which shows class is doing fine to a person not knowing whole data. But in fact the class have two group of student, half are doing exceptionally good and half are failing and need extra classes while teaching. So the average might be misleading if taken without concerning the dispersion of the data.
