Proportional Facts
This is a great example of how proportional facts are misused by Business to mislead customers.
This is from:
http://scientific-misconduct.blogspot.com/2008/04/more-great-statistics-from-procter-and.html
Advertising Standards Authority (UK): 26 March 2008, Adjudication over Cat Food Advertisement (Iams Cat Food). More worthwhile statistics from Procter and Gamble:
The advertisements stated:
1. "Vets know catering to all your cats' different needs isn't easy ... 8 out of 10 vets recommend Iams
2. Voted No.1 recommended dry cat food brand available in supermarkets
3. Small print at the bottom of the ad stated "*Based on an independent survey of vets at the Congress of the British Small Animal Veterinary Association on complete dry cat foods available in supermarkets (April 2007)".
The Advertising Standards Authority noted that:
1. The survey asked vets if they would recommend any dry dog food, dry cat food or wet cat food brands. Only 31% of the participating vets (31% of 334) in fact recommended Iams.
2. Furthermore, the survey questions allowed participants to select a number of brands; they did not select only one brand.
3. Two other brands had more recommendations but these brands were available in pet food shops.
4. 80% of vets who recommended a brand of dry cat food available in supermarkets included Iams amongst the selection of products recommended, but not necessarily over those other products
Action: ASA told P&G to remove the claims "8 out of 10 vets" and "Voted No. 1 by vets" from future advertisements. The ASA did not comment on the irrelevancy of the survey (it should have surveyed cats), the nature of the sample, the post-hoc hypothesis, lack of any P value or who commissioned the "survey". For contaminated P&G catfood, see here.
more info:
http://www.asa.org.uk/ASA-action/Adjudications/2008/3/Procter-and-Gamble-UK/TF_ADJ_44178.aspx
Yea, that's not cool that IAMS would misuse such proportional facts... It's so misleading to people, and for all we know, IAMS could be one of the worst pet foods to feed your animal.
ReplyDeleteWe used to feed my old dog this food called O.N.E. and she died at a pretty young age of 8 from kidney failure, and now we feed our new dog IAMS (hahaha)and she's 8 and still has many years left... my point is that my parents could have been mislead by O.N.E.'s proportional facts, and could have very much caused the early death of my first dog bella. :(
I LOST MY PHONE ON JANUARY 27TH AFTER CLASS. IF ANYBODY FINDS IT COULD YOU PLEASE EMAIL ME AT ib102609@ohio.edu
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