The Random Sample

As we survey the literature our ruminations on the misuse of statistics, touched on in the last issue, are constantly being reinforced. As the Clearinghouse Bulletin illustrates, our field of vision encompasses a very large series of publications including most of the psychological journals, so our opportunities to view with alarm are quite numerous. With the exception of a few stalwart anthropologists and psychiatrists (who may have other kinds of failings), everyone and his brother seem to be indulging themselves in "statistics." In fact, academically, the situation has reached the point where a man simply cannot hold up his head as a respectable member of the profession unless he has taken a course or two in the mysteries and sprinkles his works with a sizeable number of Greek symbols

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