Importance of Statistics

Prerequisites
none

Learning Objectives

  1. Give examples of statistics are encountered in every-day life
  2. Give examples of how statistics can lend credibility to an argument

Statistics may be the single most important subject matter that you ever study. This is because throughout your entire life you have been and will continue to be inundated with research statistics and findings.

Statistics are often included in a report to add credibility. This is easily observed watching any of the major news shows. Many of the statistics presented to you in your life have not been, are not, and will not be accurate. These snappy numbers are often easily accepted by and mislead people, especially people who are not consumers of research and consumers of statistics.

It is extremely important to understand statistics because statistics influence which findings you are going to believe and which findings are going to influence you to make changes in your life. And this on-line statistics textbook is important because it's going to make you a consumer of statistics.

The first step to being a consumer of statistics will be to question the statistics that you encounter. As you think more about statistics, you will become increasingly aware that statistics are all around you.