Question

Statistical methods are no substitute for common sense. Comment with examples from your daily life. 

Answer 1

A statement of attention to the students of statistics is being referred to here. Statistical data should not be believed blindly as it can be misinterpreted or misused. The statistical data may be politically influenced, may involve personal biasness or may undergo data mining (manipulations). Moreover, statistical data and methods fail to reveal the errors committed by an investigator while surveying and collecting data. Thus, the students are advised to use their common sense while working with the statistical data. This point can be better understood with the help of the following example. According to a survey that was conducted on the Death Rate, it was found that the number of deaths per 1,000 people was more in doctors' accessible regions compared to the death rate in the remote areas. Such statistical data violate common sense and thereby is misleading. Therefore, the students are advised not to have lope sided beliefs on the statistical data and methods but simultaneously should evaluate the statistical results logically and should offend the results if it violates their common sense.

Thus, it can be concluded that statistics is like clay that can be transformed in either a good or bad way in order to draw right or wrong conclusions. Hence, the numerical data should not be deliberately used without applying common sense.