Data Tinkerer

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Data Analysis

Are Your Stats Betraying You? Simpson’s Paradox Explained

Why Summaries Can Mislead and How Analysts Can Stay One Step Ahead

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Data Tinkerer
Feb 06, 2025
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Simpson’s Paradox can be confusing, even for experienced data analysts. It occurs when a trend that appears within different groups of data reverses or disappears when those groups are combined. In this article, we’ll explore the paradox using a kidney stone treatment example, demonstrate why it’s misleading, and outline how you can avoid being fooled in your own analyses.

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