How to mislead with graphs 7’6” 5’2.5” Yao = Christina X 2? of course not…

How to mislead with graphs

7’6”

5’2.5”

Yao = Christina X 2?

of course not…



Housing prices have tripled over the last year?!?


Gee-whiz! Oatmeal cuts your cholesterol by 75%!



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Use a short and fat barif you want to minimize differences…


Use a tall and skinny bar if you want to

maximize differences…

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• Or why not just scale it without the bottom part of the y-axis?

Chop off the “feet”

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If I’m Mr. Jones…

…I’m deliberately choosing a tall and skinny bar AND chopping off the bottom of the axis.

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Reaganomics Tax Reduction Legislationtelevised address from the Oval Office,

July 27, 1981

$999$1000

$1001

$1003$1002

$1004$1005

“THEIR” bill is the Democratic plan

“OUR” bill is the new Republican plan

“YOUR TAXES” makes it nice and

personal



pictographs...


LA Times, August 5, 1979



Washington Post October 25, 1978


• No y-axis at all!• Sales in 1995 = sales in 1997 but you’d never know!



An actual presentation from the county…

click

A Radio Addvertisementfrom Express Oil Change

• Talking about dealers charging 37% more for the same work.

• This means the dealer will charge you $1.37 for the same work a private shop would charge a $1 for.

• Final example was “Would you like it if you give someone a dollar and asked for change, and they give you back 63 cents.”

• 63 cents is 37 cents less than a dollar, but what is wrong with the last example?

Documents

How to mislead with graphs 7’6” 5’2.5” Yao = Christina X 2? of course not…