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A Statistical Odyssey

Learn about common mistakes in data analysis with an interactive space adventure. Recommended for ages 12 and up.

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by Homeschool.com
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I am a university teacher and I am trained in statistics...and my score was not perfect :)

I loved the course, learned from it, and am recommending it to...

ā€” Kiron
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What a fun way to learn statistics!

ā€” Denali, 14
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It was a cool little text adventure game. Perhaps it would benefit from some kind of branching in the story that would lead to dead ends or some humorous...

ā€” Krzyftosz
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liked it ........creative content

ā€” Clinton Laird

About the course

As you explore a spaceship to discover the cause of a mysterious ship-wide memory loss, you will learn how biases can distort our understanding of data. Recognizing and overcoming these errors helps us critically evaluate the information we encounter and better understand the world around us.

Topics covered are selection bias, regression to the mean, correlation vs. causation, the clustering illusion, adaptive bias, the gambler's fallacy, the base rate fallacy, the survivorship bias, and Simpson's paradox.

What is selection bias?

Selection bias occurs when the participants chosen for a study or survey do not represent the whole group. For example, suppose you want to know what percentage of the population likes chocolate, and you conduct your survey at a chocolate factory. In that case, your survey results will be skewed by selection bias.

What is regression to the mean?

If a variable is unusually high or low on one occasion, it will likely be closer to the average on the next occasion. This phenomenon is called regression to the mean. For example, if an athlete performs exceptionally well one day, chances are they will have a closer to average performance the next day.

Imagine a coach praises athletes whenever they do well and notices that they tend to perform worse the next day. If he assumes that the poorer performance is caused by the praise, he ignores the more likely explanation that it is the result of regression to the mean.

What are correlation and causation?

Correlation means two variables move together. Causation indicates one variable directly affects the other. A correlation between two things can exist with or without causation. For instance, ice cream sales and drowning incidents are correlated because both increase in summer. However, eating ice cream doesn't cause drowning. Assuming that correlation always means indicates can lead to false conclusions.

What is the clustering illusion?

If you look at a collection of randomly generated points on a map, you will likely see some clusters of points. This is because randomly spaced points are not necessarily evenly spaced.

Similarly, if you flip a coin 100 times, you will likely see a streak of heads somewhere in thereā€”this is just what randomness looks like.

When we see meaning or patterns in clusters or streaks that are simply random, we fall for the clustering illusion.

What is adaptive bias?

Adaptive bias is the concept that the human brain prioritizes keeping us safe over making rational decisions. For example, people have a tendency to judge familiar things more favourably than unfamiliar things. Biases that kept us safe in the past may still influence our thinking even when they no longer apply.

What is the gambler's fallacy?

The gambler's fallacy is the mistaken belief that, in a series of independent events, past outcomes influence future ones.

Example: Someone flips a coin and gets heads 5 times and thinks that tails is more likely on the next flip.

What is the base rate fallacy?

The base rate fallacy, also called base rate neglect, is the tendency to rely too heavily on specific details while ignoring general statistical information.

Example: ā€œ50% of milk food poisoning cases in the US are from pasteurized milk, so pasteurized milk is no safer than raw milk.ā€ This neglects to consider that over 99% of milk consumed in the US is pasteurized.

What is the survivorship bias?

This is the mistake of overlooking people or things that didn't make it past a selection process because they are less visible.

Example: You decide to implement strategies used a by a high percentage of successful businesses without considering whether an even higher percentage of failed businesses used these same strategies.

What is Simpson's paradox?

Simpson's paradox is a statistical phenomenon in which a trend disappears or reverses when you combine or split a group of data.

Example: A university has an overall lower acceptance rate of women than men, but women have higher acceptance rates in each department. (It turns out that women applied to more competitive departments.)

Can this be used in a classroom?

Yes! Check out A Statistical Odyssey for the Classroom for a short explanation of how to utilize this course in a school setting.

Buy A Statistical Odyssey in Teen Bundle

Includes 5 items: A Statistical Odyssey, Symbolic Logic for Teens PartĀ 1, Symbolic Logic Worksheets, High School Worksheets and Lesson Plans, Statistical Shenanigans Worksheets and Lesson Plans.

A Statistical Odyssey
Symbolic Logic for Teens PartĀ 1
Symbolic Logic Worksheets
High School Worksheets and Lesson Plans
Statistical Shenanigans Worksheets and Lesson Plans
Bundle info
−28%
US$40

Buy A Statistical Odyssey in Statistics Bundle

Includes 2 items: A Statistical Odyssey, Statistical Shenanigans Worksheets and Lesson Plans.

A Statistical Odyssey
Statistical Shenanigans Worksheets and Lesson Plans
Bundle info
−29%
US$18