#biased sampling

[usunezukoinezu]

''The intention-to-treat error is not easy to recognize. A fictional example from medicine: A pharmaceutical company has developed a new drug to fight heart disease. A study “proves” that it significantly reduces patients’ mortality rates. The data speaks for itself: Among patients who have taken the drug regularly, the five-year mortality rate is 15 percent. For those who have swallowed placebo pills, it is about the same, indicating that the pill doesn’t work. However—and this is crucial—the mortality rate of patients who have taken the drug at irregular intervals is 30 percent—twice as high! A big difference between regular and irregular intake. So, the pill is a complete success. Or is it?

Here’s the snag: The pill is probably not the decisive factor; rather, it is the patients’ behavior. Perhaps patients discontinued the pill following severe side effects and thus landed in the “irregular intake” category. Maybe they were so ill that there was no way to continue it on a regular basis. Either way, only relatively healthy patients remain in the “regular” group, which makes the drug look a lot more effective than it really is. The really sick patients who, for this very reason, couldn’t take the drug on a regular basis ended up populating the “irregular intake” group.

In reputable studies, medical researchers evaluate the data of all patients whom they originally intend to treat (hence the title); it doesn’t matter if they take part in the trial or they drop out. Unfortunately, many studies flout this rule. Whether this is intentional or accidental remains to be seen. Therefore, be on your guard: Always check whether test subjects—drivers who end up in accidents, bankrupt companies, critically ill patients—have, for whatever reason, vanished from the sample. If so, you should file the study where it belongs: in the trash can.''

-Rolf Dobelli, The art of thinking clearly

[hauntoblogical]

I have seen three different "how much of this site is queer" polls this evening poking fun at staff's 1/4 assertion and not a single indication any of them understand statistics. One someone even replied "This might have some sampling bias" what do you mean might what do you mean SOME

[diamondkat]

I was having a chat with someone about all the hate Valentino and his fans get and how it doesn't make sense that Valentino fans get so much hatred when the other Vees, particularly Vox has a lot of fans that don't get the same treatment. This made me wonder if there are Vox fans who also feel that way about Valentino. I am personally of the opinion that if they exist, they would be a tiny minority. It has never made sense to me that villain fans would look down on fellow villain fans. However, opinion isn't the same as reality so I need emprical evidence.

The hate option is for those deeply hate Valentino. If you don't hate the character enough to be constantly wishing for their death and for it being incomprehensible to you why annyone would like them, pick dislike.

[gabessquishytum]

Hello and welcome to my very scientific research project. I have observed a certain crossover in the venn diagram of doomed yaoi and I am curious as to whether it's a real phenomenon.

[no-sorry]

10 favorite female characters poll

post I saw said "if you see this pretend I tagged you" so I'm passing that on to you 💥 here come 10 epic women in no particular order

[felidaereverse]

you people in my phone love playing surveys, right?

[joshuathreeohthree]

Splatoon Player Age Census

Proving (or disproving) a point

[aroallo-corvid]

I can't get over the aces in the notes of the aroallo polls who are answering the questions

oh fr???? i will admit i have not been doing a thorough read through of the notes but that honestly does not surprise me. par for the course for how aroallos are treated in the aspec community

it's not even like they can claim ignorance because every poll starts with "aroallos, *insert question*" . plus there's a button for "not aroallo" included on every poll 😭 although a decent number of people do seem to be clicking the correct button

[faggotry-enjoyer]

U of M sounds like a nightmare rn. I’m an MSU graduate who wants do my PhD in geophysics and I’ve considered U of M bc they do have a good geology department but I think I’m just gonna uhhh Not Go There. I haven’t really heard what’s up with MSU but I know we had an SJP chapter 🥴 So I suspect it’s not quiet. But U of M’s antisemitism makes HEADLINES, stay safe

It's really more of a mixed bag. The antisemitism here is very real and very scary, you'll never catch me denying that. But it's not the whole story.

On October 7th this year, there may have been an SJP protest at Rackham. But the Diag was like a mini Hostages Square all day long, and there were hundreds of people at the memorial in the evening. Hundreds of people saying a prayer for the state of Israel and mourner's kaddish, hundreds of people singing acheinu and hatikvah. A week or so prior, 500 people gathered on the diag in support of Jewish students and our right to be here. And I can't speak to the latter, as I wasn't there, but on the 7th campus security was by us all day to make sure nothing happened.

If I recall correctly, about 15% of the student body here is Jewish. We have a very active Hillel, as well as a Jewish Resource Center and a Chabad. Even when campus is scary, we've got each other and we've got a lot of each other. There is fear, but there's hope too.

[dykehelly]

observations after being on The Apps on and off for a year or so is that lesbian hookup culture is alive and well and the lesbian poly dating scene is thriving. the lesbian mono dating scene on the other hand....sorry to the monogamous girlies (etc.) but it looks like it is rough out there at the moment

[aropride]

every day i check apolladay to see if my poll has been posted (it has not) (i submitted mine on the 8th and we're still on submissions from july)

[wanderingblindly]

I'm an INFJ - the advocate. Rare apparently 🤷

Idk why the idea of a “rare personality” type is so fucking funny to me like,,,,,,,,,,, we’re all so unique and yet not at all, but according to the mbti there is a true rarity

[033h]

what i really like about sandy liang are the uniform and kitsch aspects but i think everyone complaining about the recent seasons just liked the coquette aspect