Avoiding Damned Lies: Understanding Statistical Ideas

Alan Dix

doi:10.1145/286498.286635

Avoiding Damned Lies: Understanding Statistical Ideas

Alan Dix^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

Abstract

Many researchers and practitioners in HCI will at some time or another need to use or interpret experimental statistics. However, the correct use of statistics involves a combination of mathematics and practical know-how. Often those who have studied an introductory statistics course have learnt how to perform the requisite mathematical manipulation, but not the meaning of the resulting numbers. This tutorial aims to fill in the understanding gap experienced by many who are using statistics, but do not feel 'on top' of it. It will focus on the meaning of a few key concepts and some of the common mistakes and fallacies prevalent in the HCI literature.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	CHI 98 Conference Summary on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI 1998
Publisher	Association for Computing Machinery
Pages	155-156
Number of pages	2
ISBN (Electronic)	1581130287, 9781581130287
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1145/286498.286635
Publication status	Published - 1 Apr 1998
Externally published	Yes
Event	1998 ACM Conference on Human Factors and Computing Systems, CHI 1998 - Los Angeles, United States Duration: 18 Apr 1998 → 23 Apr 1998

Publication series

Name	Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems - Proceedings

Conference

Conference	1998 ACM Conference on Human Factors and Computing Systems, CHI 1998
Country/Territory	United States
City	Los Angeles
Period	18/04/98 → 23/04/98

Keywords

experiments
randomness
significance test
statistics

Access to Document

10.1145/286498.286635Licence: Free Access/Under Copyright

Cite this

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title = "Avoiding Damned Lies: Understanding Statistical Ideas",

abstract = "Many researchers and practitioners in HCI will at some time or another need to use or interpret experimental statistics. However, the correct use of statistics involves a combination of mathematics and practical know-how. Often those who have studied an introductory statistics course have learnt how to perform the requisite mathematical manipulation, but not the meaning of the resulting numbers. This tutorial aims to fill in the understanding gap experienced by many who are using statistics, but do not feel 'on top' of it. It will focus on the meaning of a few key concepts and some of the common mistakes and fallacies prevalent in the HCI literature.",

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year = "1998",

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Dix, A 1998, Avoiding Damned Lies: Understanding Statistical Ideas. in CHI 98 Conference Summary on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI 1998. Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems - Proceedings, Association for Computing Machinery, pp. 155-156, 1998 ACM Conference on Human Factors and Computing Systems, CHI 1998, Los Angeles, United States, 18/04/98. https://doi.org/10.1145/286498.286635

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Avoiding Damned Lies: Understanding Statistical Ideas

Abstract

Publication series

Conference

Keywords

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