JOURNAL ARTICLE

Bad stats: A regular series exploring slip-ups, snafus and salutary lessons from the world of statistics.

  • Published In: Significance, 2025, v. 22, n. 1. P. 38 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Wainer, Howard; Robinson, Daniel H 3 of 3

Abstract

The article discusses the concept of "Strivers," a research project aimed at identifying college applicants, particularly minority applicants, who may perform better in college than their test scores suggest. The project aimed to predict students' SAT scores based on background variables and identify those who outperformed their predicted scores. However, subsequent research and analysis using Kelley's equation revealed that Strivers' SAT scores were likely higher than their true scores, leading to unexpected outcomes such as higher dropout rates among Strivers. The article highlights the importance of understanding regression effects in statistical analysis and challenges common assumptions about academic performance based on demographic factors. [Extracted from the article]

Additional Information

  • Source:Significance. 2025/01, Vol. 22, Issue 1, p38
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Education
  • Publication Date:2025
  • ISSN:1740-9705
  • DOI:10.1093/jrssig/qmae095
  • Accession Number:181541048
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Significance is the property of Oxford University Press / USA and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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