Making statistics intuitive
The gambler’s fallacy is a cognitive bias that occurs when people incorrectly believe that previous outcomes influence the likelihood of a random event happening. The fallacy assumes that random events are “due” to balance out over time. It’s also known as the “Monte Carlo Fallacy,” named after a casino in Monaco where it was famously observed in 1913. [Read more…] about Gambler’s Fallacy: Overview & Examples
A unimodal distribution in statistics refers to a frequency distribution that has only one peak. Unimodality means that a single value in the distribution occurs more frequently than any other value. The peak represents the most common value, also known as the mode. [Read more…] about Unimodal Distribution Definition & Examples
The representativeness heuristic is a cognitive bias that occurs while assessing the likelihood of an event by comparing its similarity to an existing mental prototype. Essentially, this bias involves comparing whatever we’re evaluating to a situation, prototype, or stereotype that we already have in mind. Our brains frequently weigh this comparison much more heavily than other relevant factors. This shortcut can be helpful in some cases, but it can also lead to errors in judgment and distorted thinking. [Read more…] about Representativeness Heuristic: Definition & Examples
Ecological validity refers to how accurately researchers can generalize a study’s findings to real-world situations. Simply put, it measures how closely an experiment reflects the behaviors and experiences of individuals in their natural environment. [Read more…] about Ecological Validity: Definition & Why It Matters
A lurking variable is a variable that researchers do not include in a statistical analysis, but it can still affect the outcome. These variables can create problems by biasing your statistical results in any of the following ways:
Learn more about Spurious Correlations. [Read more…] about Lurking Variable: Definition & Examples
Anchoring bias is a cognitive bias that causes people to rely too heavily on the first piece of information they receive when making a decision. That information is their “anchor,” and it affects how they make decisions. Even when presented with additional information, people tend to give too much weight to the original anchor, leading to distortions in judgment and decision-making. Inaccurate adjustments from an anchor value can cause people to make erroneous final decisions and estimates. [Read more…] about Anchoring Bias: Definition & Examples
Probability sampling is the process of selecting a sample using random sampling. When you use this method, each individual or unit in a population has a known, non-zero chance of being randomly selected for the sample. Statisticians consider this method the most reliable because it tends to minimize sampling bias and produce samples that accurately represent the entire population. A representative sample allows you to use the sample to make inferences about the population. [Read more…] about Probability Sampling Overview
Self serving bias is a cognitive bias that refers to the tendency for individuals to take credit for their successes while blaming their failures on external factors. In other words, people tend to see themselves positively by attributing their accomplishments to their internal abilities and failures to things outside their control. [Read more…] about Self Serving Bias: Definition & Examples
Hindsight bias is a cognitive bias that creates the tendency to perceive past events as being more predictable than they actually were. It is that sneaky feeling that you “knew it all along,” even when that’s not true. This tendency is rooted in our desire to believe that we are intelligent and capable decision-makers, and it can cause various distortions in our thinking. [Read more…] about Hindsight Bias: Definition & Examples
The availability heuristic is a cognitive bias that causes people to rely too heavily on easily accessible memories when estimating probabilities and making decisions. This mental shortcut can distort our perception of how frequently certain events occur. [Read more…] about Availability Heuristic: Definition & Examples
The halo effect is the tendency to transfer a positive impression of one aspect of a person, product, or brand to their other features. This cognitive bias causes us to make favorable assessments without solid reasons. A classic example is that when you perceive someone as attractive, you are likely to assume they have other positive attributes, such as intelligence, kindness, and trustworthiness. [Read more…] about Halo Effect: Definition & Examples
Random error and systematic error are the two main types of measurement error. Measurement error occurs when the measured value differs from the true value of the quantity being measured. [Read more…] about Random Error vs Systematic Error
The Dunning-Kruger effect is a cognitive bias that causes people with low abilities or knowledge to overestimate themselves compared to others. Conversely, people with high skills tend to underestimate themselves. In short, it is a psychological phenomenon that distorts our self-evaluation. [Read more…] about Dunning Kruger Effect: Definition & Examples
Ratios and proportions are related concepts in mathematics and statistics. A ratio compares two quantities and shows their relative sizes. For example, a veterinary office might have 1 dog to 2 cats as patients. This comparison tells us that they see twice as many cats as dogs. [Read more…] about What is a Ratio and Proportion?
Confirmation bias is the tendency to seek information confirming preexisting beliefs while ignoring information contradicting them. This bias can be particularly problematic when making important decisions, leading to flawed reasoning and inaccurate conclusions. It is a type of cognitive bias. [Read more…] about Confirmation Bias Definition and Examples
A cognitive bias is a systematic fault in thinking and decision-making that can affect our judgments and perceptions. These biases can arise due to our limited mental capacity, the complexity of the environment, and the influence of our prior experiences and beliefs. [Read more…] about Cognitive Bias: Definition & Examples
A sampling frame lists all members of the population you’re studying. Your target population is the general concept of the group you’re assessing, while a sampling frame specifically lists all population members and how to contact them. It might also include demographic information for each person because some methods, such as stratified sampling, require it. [Read more…] about Sampling Frame: Definition & Examples
Scientific notation is a compact way of writing numbers that are too large or too small to be conveniently written in decimal form. It is a shorthand letting us write numbers using powers of 10. Scientific fields such as astronomy, physics, chemistry, and statistics frequently use scientific notation.
Below is an example of shorthand notation:
All three forms of scientific notation are equivalent. In the last format, the E stands for exponent.
In this blog post, you’ll learn how to interpret scientific notation, convert numbers to this format, and how to use it for multiplication and division. [Read more…] about Using Scientific Notation
Selection bias occurs when researchers make decisions that cause a sample to be systematically different from the population of interest.
Selection bias can arise from various decisions, such as:
The Fibonacci sequence is a series of numbers that appears in surprisingly many aspects of nature, from the branching of trees to the spiral shapes of shells. This series is named after the Italian mathematician Leonardo Fibonacci. [Read more…] about Fibonacci Sequence: Formula & Uses