The Good Looking Graph

Dr. Blauw cautioned us to be careful when presented with graphs, and more specifically, "The Good Looking Graph". Graphs can be very dramatic. It's easy for people to look at them quickly and make judgements without getting bogged down in the context of where the numbers on the graphs come from. But the context is precisely what is most important. 

Graphs can be manipulated to dramatize results. Oftentimes, by just modifying the y-axis of a graph, one can drastically change the story that is being told. Take a look at this graph:


Changing the starting point of the y-axis from 0 to 3650 makes the increases and decreases in the line look much more dramatic. 

While it's not important that all graphs start at 0, it's important to know the context of the information being presented. Once we know the context of the graph and what it is representing, then it's easier for us to make rational interpretations on how it's presented to us. 

Watch this video to learn more: