Editing Misuse of statistics (section)

{{Short description|Use of statistical arguments to assert falsehoods}}
{{Other uses|Manipulation (disambiguation){{!}}Manipulation}}
{{Cleanup|reason=this article is badly written, often unclear|date=November 2014}}
[[Statistics]], when used in a misleading fashion, can trick the casual observer into believing something other than what the [[data]] shows. That is, a '''misuse of statistics''' occurs when
a statistical argument asserts a [[falsehood]]. In some cases, the misuse may be accidental. In others, it is purposeful and for the gain of the perpetrator. When the statistical reason involved is false or misapplied, this constitutes a '''statistical [[fallacy]]'''.

The consequences of such misinterpretations can be quite severe.  For example, in medical science, correcting a falsehood may take decades and cost lives.

Misuses can be easy to fall into. Professional scientists, mathematicians and even professional statisticians, can be fooled by even some simple methods, even if they are careful to check everything.  Scientists have been known to fool themselves with statistics due to lack of knowledge of [[probability theory]] and lack of [[standardization]] of their [[statistical test|tests]].