Tanmay Kumar Maity Department of Haldia Govt. College Scaling and Axis Manipulation

CNN/ USA Today Gallup Poll 2005: Terri Schiavo case Results by Party

Do you agree with the court’s decision to have the feeding tube removed? Percentage who agree

Democrats Republicans Independents Party

Deception with graphs Scaling and Axis Manipulation

CNN/ USA Today Gallup Poll 2005: Terri Schiavo case Results by Party 64 Do you agree with the court’s decision to 62 have the feeding tube removed? Percentage 60 who agree 58 56

54

52

50 Democrats Republicans Independents Party

Deception with graphs CNN/ USA Today Gallup Poll 2005: Terri Schiavo case Results by Party 70 Do you agree with the court’s decision to have the feeding tube removed? 60

Percentage 50 who agree 40

30

20

10

0 Democrats Republicans Independents Party

Deception with graphs Scaling and Axis Manipulation

Deception with graphs Misleading Trend

1600 No. of Dowry Deaths in West Bengal 1400 1200

No. 1000 of 800 dowry deaths 600 400 200 0

Years

Deception with graphs Misleading Trend… Changing scale of vertical axis

No. of Dowry Deaths in West Bengal 1300

1200

No. 1100 of dowry 1000 deaths 900

800

700

Years

Deception with graphs Misleading Trend… Changing maximum of vertical axis No. of Dowry Deaths in West Bengal 1600 Smaller maximum 1400 Original graph 1200 1200 1000 1000 800 800

600 deaths 600 deaths 400 400 200 200 0 0

Years Years 6000 Larger maximum 5000 4000 3000

deaths 2000 1000 0

Deception with graphs Years Misleading Trend… Changing ratio of graph dimensions No. of Dowry Deaths in West Bengal 1600 Half width, 1600 twice height 1400 Original graph 1400 1200 1000 1200 800 1000

deaths 600 400 200 800

0 deaths 600

400 Years 200

0

Twice width,

2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 half height Years 1500 1000

500 deaths 0 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Years

Deception with graphs Misleading comparison between two trends No. of Dowry Deaths in West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh

ANDHRA PRADESH WEST BENGAL 1800 1600 1400 1200 Original graph 1000

800 Deaths 600 400 200 0 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Year

ANDHRA PRADESH WEST BENGAL 6000 ANDHRA PRADESH WEST BENGAL 1600 5000 1500 1400 4000 1300 3000 1200

Deaths 1100 2000 Deaths 1000 900 1000 800 0 700 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 600 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Year Year Deception with graphs Graph with changed scale Three dimensional effect: Bar graph Sale of sunglasses in a shop

1500

1000

500

0

2010 2011 2012 2013

Year 2000 1500 1000

sold 500 0 No. of sunglasses sunglasses of No. 2010 2011 2012 2013 Year Deception with graphs Three dimensional effect: Pie Blood group distribution of Arts students in a college

11%

9% A B AB O 40%

40%

A B AB O Deception with graphs Manipulating Bar Graphs Width of the bars is proportional to their height

Deception with graphs Manipulating Pictograph No. of people own different pets

Deception with graphs Manipulating Pictograph... No. of people own different pets

Deception with graphs Misleading Scatter diagram India: Steel Production vs. Crime against women

450000

400000

350000

300000

250000 No. of crimes against women 200000

150000

100000

50000

0 0 10000 20000 30000 40000 50000 60000 70000 80000 90000 Steel production (in thousand tonnes)

Deception with graphs Misleading Scatter diagram India: Steel Production vs. Crime against women

450000

400000

350000

300000

250000 No. of crimes against women 200000

150000

100000

50000

0 0 10000 20000 30000 40000 50000 60000 70000 80000 90000 Steel production (in thousand tonnes)

Deception with graphs Misleading Scatter diagram… India: Steel Production vs. Crime against women

Steel production of India for 2001 - 2012 90000 80000 70000 60000 Steel production 50000 (in thousand 40000 ) tonnes 30000 20000 10000 0 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Year

450000 Crimes against women 400000 350000 300000 No. of crime 250000 against women 200000 150000 100000 50000 0 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Deception with graphs Year Bottom line Detection of misleading graph/

 Too narrow scale or No scale at all

 A break in the axis

 Unequal intervals

 Origin not starting at zero

 Comparing two sets of with different scales

Deception with graphs Detection of misleading graph/ chart…

 Ratio between horizontal and vertical scale

 If the bars are not equal widths

 If it’s a , then all of the pictured items may not be the same size.

 Beware of 3D graph

 Misleading scatter diagram

Deception with graphs Treat Your Data with Reason - Not With Force

Deception with graphs Deception with graphs References

 Methodology Manual: : Displaying Data - Deception with Graphs, Texas State Auditor's Office, Jan 4, 1996.  A discussion of misleading graphs, Mark Harbison, Sacramento City College  How to Display Data Badly, , (1984),The American Statistician 38 (2): 137–147.  How to lie with statistics (pictures by Irving Geis) (1954, 31st Printing), Darrell Huff, W. W. Norton & Company.  The Use and Abuse of Graphs in Annual Reports: Theoretical Framework and Empirical Study, Vivien Beattie, Michael John Jones (1 September 1992), Accounting and Business Research 22 (88): 291–303.  The visual display of quantitative (2006, 2nd ed.), Edward R. Tufte, Cheshire, Connecticut: Graphics Press.  Visual Revelations: Graphical Tales of Fate and Deception From Napoleon Bonaparte To Ross Perot, Howard Wainer, (1 July 2000), Psychology Press.  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misleading_graph‎  http://gator.gatewayk12.org  http://faculty.atu.edu/mfinan/2043/section31.pdf  www.data.gov.in  https://www.worldsteel.org/

Deception with graphs THANK YOU

Deception with graphs