Replying to LO27774 --
I don't disagree that most people use statistics to buttress and defend,
i.e., confirm what they already believe. However, for me, the primary
purpose of statistics is to lead to questions. Statistics, by themselves,
only tell me what (e.g., a cohort's test scores average out to be 67%).
Even put into context (e.g., compared to another cohort, this cohort's
average score of 67% is 15% lower), I still don't know why. To find out
why, I have to ask a lot of questions. I don't see any purpose for stats
unless they lead to some insight, which in turn leads to some action or
change.
Harriett J. Robles
hjrobles@aol.com
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