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Americans were asked "What percentage of American adults _____" compared with the true proportion.
(lemmy.world)
this post was submitted on 05 Jun 2025
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How tf car-brained USAinians in a car-dependant society assume only half the population owns a car?
Or that a fifth/a quarter of the country is Muslim/transgender/living on a million per year?
Or that NY is a third of the USA?
Is this data just bs?
The NY one is wild. But cars I can see. Couples who share and teenagers.
Ok, yes, but the average answer was 50% (edit: 66%), so half of the people assumed less than 50%.
I should have clarified that by 'is data bullshit' I meant it as the surveys work/overall effort - eg unclear questions or not making sure (actively or passively) if folk actually understood the question. It could be something stupid as a matter unclear 'owns' or 'doesn't own', so people were answering in two ways '90% own' and '10% don't own' ... of witch the average is then the bs 50% bcs it's the and metric.
This is just one example of seemingly the simplest things going wrong in surveys & statisticians not having the data/balls to detect issues from datasets or rule the data in question out.
Asking people questions is hard. They are people after all.
Or that 90% have high school degree. Either the education is terrible or the stats are bs.
Regardless of if the stats are accurate, I can assure you the education is terrible.
Clearly 24%(=89%-65%) of the population with a highschool degree give the impression they don't have it.
Tbh that seems fair, perhaps a bit low :D.