This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by von Roten, F. C. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Do we need a public understanding of statistics?

Observatoire Science, Politique et Sociéetée, Universitée de Lausanne, Rue de Bassenges 4, 1024 Ecublens, Switzerland fabienne.crettazvonroten{at}unil.ch

This paper explores arguments in favor of a public understanding of statistics and suggests its possible contributions to the analysis of surveys of attitudes toward science. Statistics permeates all aspects of life—from education, work, media, and health, to citizenship. For example, most media reporting includes statistical references to health, social and demographic trends, education, and economics. The pervasiveness of statistics poses a problem, as statistics is a difficult discipline associated with misunderstandings, which ruin trust and lead to misgivings. Civic scientific literacy covers statistics insufficiently, both theoretically and empirically. Finally, this paper formulates new explanations, built on statistical literacy, of empirical results found in surveys of attitudes toward science and suggests modes for the development of statistical literacy in this context.

Public Understanding of Science, Vol. 15, No. 2, 243-249 (2006)
DOI: 10.1177/0963662506061883


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?