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> Reviews.org surveyed 1,000 Americans 18 years and older with a +/- 4% margin of error and a confidence level of 95%. [1] Can one just dictate the error margi

by smokel 2y ago

> Reviews.org surveyed 1,000 Americans 18 years and older with a +/- 4% margin of error and a confidence level of 95%. [1] Can one just dictate the error margin on a survey now? [1] https://www.reviews.org/mobile/cell-phone-addiction/ https://www.reviews.org/mobile/cell-phone-addiction/

epistasis 2y ago
What do you mean by "dictate" or now"? Every survey always states the margin of error like that. Its a function of the sample size and introductory stats to get that number.
- smokel 2y ago
  I somehow doubt that they actually randomly sampled from a representative population. It's more likely that they use an online audience who likes to fill out review forms.
  - epistasis 2y ago
    So now you have a different complaint, without even addressing my questions? It's good to be truly skeptical, but to be completely contrary is a mental trap.
    - smokel 2y ago
      I guess things went wrong with my sarcastic remark on being able to "dictate" the margin of error. With respect to statistics and online surveys, I'm not even skeptical but outright cynical. Calculating the margin of error with a standard deviation only works for representative samples, which reviews.org most likely is not able to provide. Adding these percentages and terms to the report gives a false sense of reliability, which annoys me. Still, I should probably not have resorted to sarcasm. My apologies for that.
raincole 2y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margin_of_error https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margin_of_error
UncleMeat 2y ago
These error margins are derived mathematically from the population and results. They assume a representative sample.
drawkward 2y ago
Yes. There are calculators for the required sample size, relative to population, to achieve a specific MOE
pj808 2y ago
Despite other comments that are somewhat aghast at the idea of dictating a margin of error, the threshold at which you consider something significant IS arbitrary. The 'p' value of 0.05, the inverse of the '95%'confidence interval, is commonly chosen by researchers but is by no means the only choice you could make. Some research uses less stringent or more stringent thresholds, depending on the nature of the research and the assumptions of the researchers.

by smokel 2y ago

epistasis 2y ago

What do you mean by "dictate" or now"? Every survey always states the margin of error like that. Its a function of the sample size and introductory stats to get that number.

smokel 2y ago
I somehow doubt that they actually randomly sampled from a representative population. It's more likely that they use an online audience who likes to fill out review forms.
- epistasis 2y ago
  So now you have a different complaint, without even addressing my questions? It's good to be truly skeptical, but to be completely contrary is a mental trap.
  - smokel 2y ago
    I guess things went wrong with my sarcastic remark on being able to "dictate" the margin of error. With respect to statistics and online surveys, I'm not even skeptical but outright cynical. Calculating the margin of error with a standard deviation only works for representative samples, which reviews.org most likely is not able to provide. Adding these percentages and terms to the report gives a false sense of reliability, which annoys me. Still, I should probably not have resorted to sarcasm. My apologies for that.

raincole 2y ago

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margin_of_error https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margin_of_error

UncleMeat 2y ago

These error margins are derived mathematically from the population and results. They assume a representative sample.

drawkward 2y ago

Yes. There are calculators for the required sample size, relative to population, to achieve a specific MOE

pj808 2y ago

Despite other comments that are somewhat aghast at the idea of dictating a margin of error, the threshold at which you consider something significant IS arbitrary. The 'p' value of 0.05, the inverse of the '95%'confidence interval, is commonly chosen by researchers but is by no means the only choice you could make. Some research uses less stringent or more stringent thresholds, depending on the nature of the research and the assumptions of the researchers.