Loved it! Although some of the termonology I didn't understand, I think I get what the article is trying to say. You can't really use a 'statistic' like that to form an opinion or make any conclusions because it only includes a small percentage. Even if the study wasn't trying to be biased, it is. They also did not take into account that some women take birth control for other reasons, such as acne as a remedy for violent side effects of PMS. I think the article really points out how a statisic is not always as it seems and to try and use it as scientific fact is sometimes a folly and prhaps don't read too far into those numbers.
It is also a matter of a small percentage of WHAT?
If you sample from people who have already made an important choice in one direction, you should expect to find a large percentage of people whose responses agrees with that choice.
This is similar to what Kinsey used for his report. By sampling from a population that had already made certain sexual choices, he found large proportions of people who responded favourably to those choices. Small wonder, but one cannot extend those conclusions to the general population.
It is not just bad practice, it is probably malicious practice, as this is a well known fact and should be known to researchers. But if it supports one's preconceived notions, it is still done, unfortunately. And the public accepts it uncritically.
Loved it! Although some of the termonology I didn't understand, I think I get what the article is trying to say. You can't really use a 'statistic' like that to form an opinion or make any conclusions because it only includes a small percentage. Even if the study wasn't trying to be biased, it is. They also did not take into account that some women take birth control for other reasons, such as acne as a remedy for violent side effects of PMS. I think the article really points out how a statisic is not always as it seems and to try and use it as scientific fact is sometimes a folly and prhaps don't read too far into those numbers.
ReplyDeleteIt is also a matter of a small percentage of WHAT?
DeleteIf you sample from people who have already made an important choice in one direction, you should expect to find a large percentage of people whose responses agrees with that choice.
This is similar to what Kinsey used for his report. By sampling from a population that had already made certain sexual choices, he found large proportions of people who responded favourably to those choices. Small wonder, but one cannot extend those conclusions to the general population.
It is not just bad practice, it is probably malicious practice, as this is a well known fact and should be known to researchers. But if it supports one's preconceived notions, it is still done, unfortunately. And the public accepts it uncritically.