Bias is a tendency to lean in a certain
direction, either in favor of or against a particular
thing. This can be dangerous regarding the collection or
analysis of statistical data.
Consider the following scenario:
A large city passed a new tax on sugary beverages. A few months
after the tax goes into effect, the mayor wants to use social media
to learn about how residents feel about the tax. The mayor creates
a poll on Twitter and invites residents to share how they feel
about the new tax. About 70% of responses oppose the new tax.
1. What could be a source of bias in this result?
Watch the following clip from the movie Moneyball
2. How can data be collected or used
to avoid bias?