The validity of statistics
Lots of articles state statistics that encompass all Americans, or all of any group surveyed. Do you think the average found by surveying $1,000$ people will be the same average as if a whole population was surveyed? There are some key features to look out for when analyzing the validity of a survey. A good journalist will include these key features in their article so that the reader can intelligently decide how valid the statistics are. Read the three statistics below with the survey method descriptions, then answer the questions.
A) Young adults (\(18\) to \(29\)) eat fast food most often, with \(57\%\) saying they do so at least weekly. www.gallup.com
Lots of articles state statistics that encompass all Americans, or all of any group surveyed. Do you think the average found by surveying $1,000$ people will be the same average as if a whole population was surveyed? There are some key features to look out for when analyzing the validity of a survey. A good journalist will include these key features in their article so that the reader can intelligently decide how valid the statistics are. Read the three statistics below with the survey method descriptions, then answer the questions.
A) Young adults (\(18\) to \(29\)) eat fast food most often, with \(57\%\) saying they do so at least weekly. www.gallup.com
B) Most Americans (\(52\%\)) have concluded that figuring out their income taxes is easier than knowing what they should and shouldn’t eat to be healthier, according to the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation’s 2012 Food & Health Survey. www.foodinsight.org
C) In 2011–2012, just over one-third of children and adolescents consumed fast food on a given day. www.cdc.gov
1) Which stat seems most valid to you? Why?
2) Which stat seems least valid to you? Why?
3) In the descriptions of the sampling methods, were there any words or phrases that were new to you?
4) Write a question you have about how statistics are reported.