Comments on: Fun With Statistics – Where’s the beef? http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/01/23/fun-with-statistics-%e2%80%93-where%e2%80%99s-the-beef/ Korea... in Blog Format Wed, 8 Oct 2008 06:09:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: sdcarroll http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/01/23/fun-with-statistics-%e2%80%93-where%e2%80%99s-the-beef/#comment-65505 sdcarroll Wed, 24 Jan 2007 21:15:36 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/01/23/fun-with-statistics-%e2%80%93-where%e2%80%99s-the-beef/#comment-65505 @Maddlew FWIW, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bovine_spongiform_encephalopathy#BSE_statistics_by_country" rel="nofollow">Wikipedia</a> says 170 have contracted it. @Maddlew

FWIW, Wikipedia says 170 have contracted it.

]]> By: Maddlew http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/01/23/fun-with-statistics-%e2%80%93-where%e2%80%99s-the-beef/#comment-65458 Maddlew Wed, 24 Jan 2007 01:17:57 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/01/23/fun-with-statistics-%e2%80%93-where%e2%80%99s-the-beef/#comment-65458 On the KTX to Puson a couple weeks ago they repeatedly showed clips of cows staggering around and bellowing. Farmers wearing masks were shaking their heads sadly. I think you are over-emphasizing these skewed figures. The journalists here are simply ham-handed. I truly believe there is a pervasive sentiment against US beef and there is alot of propaganda responsible. Main-stay journalism here is as manufactured as The Enquirer back home. Do they know how many people in the history of man have died from this spogiform thing? My guess is less than ten. On the KTX to Puson a couple weeks ago they repeatedly showed clips of cows staggering around and bellowing. Farmers wearing masks were shaking their heads sadly.
I think you are over-emphasizing these skewed figures. The journalists here are simply ham-handed. I truly believe there is a pervasive sentiment against US beef and there is alot of propaganda responsible. Main-stay journalism here is as manufactured as The Enquirer back home.
Do they know how many people in the history of man have died from this spogiform thing? My guess is less than ten.

]]> By: Hatch SZ http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/01/23/fun-with-statistics-%e2%80%93-where%e2%80%99s-the-beef/#comment-65401 Hatch SZ Tue, 23 Jan 2007 08:25:33 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/01/23/fun-with-statistics-%e2%80%93-where%e2%80%99s-the-beef/#comment-65401 JD, is right about the biggest cause of the heavily skewed responses: question bias. The latter half of his hypothetical questions were probably used. JD, is right about the biggest cause of the heavily skewed responses: question bias. The latter half of his hypothetical questions were probably used.

]]> By: jd http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/01/23/fun-with-statistics-%e2%80%93-where%e2%80%99s-the-beef/#comment-65381 jd Tue, 23 Jan 2007 05:07:35 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/01/23/fun-with-statistics-%e2%80%93-where%e2%80%99s-the-beef/#comment-65381 In Canada, most papers will include information about how the survey is "plus or minus 1 in 19 of 20 cases," but leave out the much more important bits, like how many people were included and what they were actually asked. I can just imagine the question they asked the Korean housewives: "Taking into consideration all of the possible health risks associated with American beef, would you risk your children's health by buying it?" "Do you want to expose your family to mad cow disease by purchasing American beef?" "Has the alarming increase in reported cases of mad cow disease in American beef made you more or less inclined to purchase non-Korean beef?" "Korean beef is better than disease-filled American beef. How does this fact affect your shopping habits?" "Only traitors and people who hate their own children buy American beef. How does this fact affect your shopping habits?" "You have been specially selected to help represent the opinions of the fatherland. Do you prefer our beef, or beef from the people who cut our country in half?" In Canada, most papers will include information about how the survey is “plus or minus 1 in 19 of 20 cases,” but leave out the much more important bits, like how many people were included and what they were actually asked.

I can just imagine the question they asked the Korean housewives:

“Taking into consideration all of the possible health risks associated with American beef, would you risk your children’s health by buying it?”

“Do you want to expose your family to mad cow disease by purchasing American beef?”

“Has the alarming increase in reported cases of mad cow disease in American beef made you more or less inclined to purchase non-Korean beef?”

“Korean beef is better than disease-filled American beef. How does this fact affect your shopping habits?”

“Only traitors and people who hate their own children buy American beef. How does this fact affect your shopping habits?”

“You have been specially selected to help represent the opinions of the fatherland. Do you prefer our beef, or beef from the people who cut our country in half?”

]]> By: Dram_man http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/01/23/fun-with-statistics-%e2%80%93-where%e2%80%99s-the-beef/#comment-65379 Dram_man Tue, 23 Jan 2007 04:29:31 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/01/23/fun-with-statistics-%e2%80%93-where%e2%80%99s-the-beef/#comment-65379 I am aware that 266 is approching a "large" sample size. However that holds if they are randomly selected, which they are not. They are expressly 30-40 year old houswives which are being extrapolated by many to be representive of Korea at large, or at best key beef buyers. PP>Don't ask about Quasimoto. I am aware that 266 is approching a “large” sample size. However that holds if they are randomly selected, which they are not. They are expressly 30-40 year old houswives which are being extrapolated by many to be representive of Korea at large, or at best key beef buyers.

PP>Don’t ask about Quasimoto.

]]> By: partypooper http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/01/23/fun-with-statistics-%e2%80%93-where%e2%80%99s-the-beef/#comment-65375 partypooper Tue, 23 Jan 2007 04:08:02 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/01/23/fun-with-statistics-%e2%80%93-where%e2%80%99s-the-beef/#comment-65375 266 is statistically significant representation for that particular group (again, assuming random sampling techniques were valid), but that says nothing about women outside the 30-40 year old range. That is the point of the post. They are being suspiciously picky about which group they choose to report on. Why not just report on all age groups? Obviously, the numbers for other age groups didn't pan out the way they wanted. In the other article referred to by Seoulout above, they are briefly referring back to the originally study (the article is mostly on the price of beef in Korea). I suspect that this reporter didn't read the original reports carefully and just assumed that 70% referred to all housewives. By the way, Dramman, what happened to the post you put up a few weeks ago about Oriental medicine? 266 is statistically significant representation for that particular group (again, assuming random sampling techniques were valid), but that says nothing about women outside the 30-40 year old range. That is the point of the post.

They are being suspiciously picky about which group they choose to report on. Why not just report on all age groups? Obviously, the numbers for other age groups didn’t pan out the way they wanted.

In the other article referred to by Seoulout above, they are briefly referring back to the originally study (the article is mostly on the price of beef in Korea). I suspect that this reporter didn’t read the original reports carefully and just assumed that 70% referred to all housewives.

By the way, Dramman, what happened to the post you put up a few weeks ago about Oriental medicine?

]]> By: huey222 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/01/23/fun-with-statistics-%e2%80%93-where%e2%80%99s-the-beef/#comment-65374 huey222 Tue, 23 Jan 2007 04:02:20 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/01/23/fun-with-statistics-%e2%80%93-where%e2%80%99s-the-beef/#comment-65374 Two of my favorite quotations about statistics and numbers... 1) Figures don't lie, but liars figure -- Samuel Clemens 2) Facts are stubborn things, but statistics are more pliable -- Mark Twain Two of my favorite quotations about statistics and numbers…

1) Figures don’t lie, but liars figure — Samuel Clemens

2) Facts are stubborn things, but statistics are more pliable — Mark Twain

]]> By: Haisan http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/01/23/fun-with-statistics-%e2%80%93-where%e2%80%99s-the-beef/#comment-65370 Haisan Tue, 23 Jan 2007 03:09:46 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/01/23/fun-with-statistics-%e2%80%93-where%e2%80%99s-the-beef/#comment-65370 <blockquote>Meaning in a country of 48 million people, 266 of those are supposed to be representative</blockquote> 266 people would give you a margin of error of +/- 6.1%, 19 times out of 20.

Meaning in a country of 48 million people, 266 of those are supposed to be representative

266 people would give you a margin of error of +/- 6.1%, 19 times out of 20.

]]> By: Hatch SZ http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/01/23/fun-with-statistics-%e2%80%93-where%e2%80%99s-the-beef/#comment-65365 Hatch SZ Tue, 23 Jan 2007 02:16:11 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/01/23/fun-with-statistics-%e2%80%93-where%e2%80%99s-the-beef/#comment-65365 with proper random sampling, 266 is a statistically significant representation. But I agree with the other points raised. with proper random sampling, 266 is a statistically significant representation. But I agree with the other points raised.

]]> By: mateomiguel http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/01/23/fun-with-statistics-%e2%80%93-where%e2%80%99s-the-beef/#comment-65364 mateomiguel Tue, 23 Jan 2007 02:04:43 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/01/23/fun-with-statistics-%e2%80%93-where%e2%80%99s-the-beef/#comment-65364 do Korean consumers not realize this? FTA = cheaper goods across the board? do Korean consumers not realize this? FTA = cheaper goods across the board?

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