Why should you study statistics? The topic can be intimidating, and rarely does anyone tell you, “Oh, that’s an easy course . . . take statistics!” Statistics is a branch of mathematics used to summarize, analyze, and interpret what we observe—to make sense or meaning of our observations. A family counselor may use statistics to describe patient behavior and the effectiveness of a treatment program. A social psychologist may use statistics to summarize peer pressure among teenagers and interpret the causes. A college professor may give students a survey to summarize and interpret how much they like (or dislike) the course. In each case, the counselor, psychologist, and professor make use of statistics to do their job.
The reason it is important to study statistics can be described by the words of Mark Twain: “There are lies, damned lies and statistics.” He meant that statistics can be deceiving—and so can interpreting them. Statistics are all around you—from your college grade point average (GPA) to a Newsweek poll predicting which politi- cal candidate is likely to win an election. In each case, statistics are used to inform you. The challenge as you move into your careers is to be able to identify statistics and to interpret what they mean. Statistics are part of your everyday life, and they are subject to interpretation. The interpreter, of course, is YOU.