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An Introduction to Critical Thinking and Creativity - always yours

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SOLUTIONS TO EXERCISES 249<br />

given about student number. A larger class will have more students skipping, <strong>and</strong> it is the<br />

ratio that should be compared, not the absolute number.<br />

17.1.f There are no data about the sample size <strong>and</strong> the number of companies surveyed.<br />

But the more serious problem is that the data cited are about only a correlation between<br />

two ratings by the respondents. There is no evidence of the direction of causation, <strong>and</strong> in<br />

fact no data at all about the actual qualities (for example, the degree of creativity) that the<br />

ratings are supposed <strong>to</strong> reflect.<br />

17.1.g This question concerns a <strong>to</strong>pic we have not discussed in this chapter. If average<br />

means "arithmetical mean", then a $9 average is compatible with there being lots of very<br />

expensive games <strong>and</strong> lots of very cheap ones. So it does not follow that most of the games<br />

are under $10. To learn more, go online <strong>and</strong> search for "mean", "median" <strong>and</strong> "mode".<br />

17.1.h Whether it is worth the higher price depends of course on lots of things: how rich<br />

you are, whether there are side effects, <strong>and</strong> so on. But it might also be useful <strong>to</strong> check the<br />

reduction in risk in absolute terms. A reduction of the heart attack rate from 2.5% <strong>to</strong> 2% is<br />

a 20% reduction, but the 0.5% difference is not so impressive any more.<br />

17.2.a Yes.<br />

17.2.b No. Some people might have no opinion. Others might approve or disapprove, but<br />

not strongly.<br />

17.2.C "Up 6%" is a comparison, "at 6%" is not.<br />

17.2.d GDP still increases if GDP growth is weak, but not when it is declining.<br />

17.3.a There is no vertical scale, <strong>and</strong> it does not seem <strong>to</strong> start from zero. According <strong>to</strong> the<br />

figures shown, the number of people who disagree is only about 18% more than the number<br />

of those who agree. But the difference in height conveys a very different <strong>and</strong> misleading<br />

impression.<br />

17.3.b Again there is no vertical scale. Also, the width of the second bar has changed for<br />

no reason. The profit has nearly doubled, which corresponds <strong>to</strong> the difference in height,<br />

but the unmotivated change in width gives the inaccurate impression that the profit has<br />

increased by a lot more than that.<br />

17.3.C The vertical scale is strange <strong>and</strong> as a result gives the misleading impression that the<br />

increase in failure rate has slowed down, when in fact the opposite is true:<br />

70%....................<br />

60<br />

50<br />

40<br />

30<br />

20<br />

10<br />

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