Myth 9: In order to think like a statistician, you need a major in statistics or a graduate degree in statistics.
Truth 9
Statistical thinking is innate to the human condition. It can be seen when young children are amazed by a magician guessing the correct card, or when a person cancels an unessential drive across a large city during rush hour. In these examples, statistical reasoning has been used, albeit empirically.
A very different matter is to formalize statistical reasoning and methods using abstract mathematical concepts; for that, some amount of higher education is necessary. However, statistical literacy, a term that refers to an individual's ability to interpret data and to reason statistically, can be fostered from early on in school.
A very different matter is to formalize statistical reasoning and methods using abstract mathematical concepts; for that, some amount of higher education is necessary. However, statistical literacy, a term that refers to an individual's ability to interpret data and to reason statistically, can be fostered from early on in school.
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