Question

A study shows that, over the course of a lifetime, the average salary of college graduates is greater than the average salary of people with only a high school diploma. The results were published claiming that graduating from college ensures you will make more money over the course of your lifetime. What is the problem with reporting results this way?

Missing data

Correlation and causality

Answer 1

Answer: The word "ensures" implies that it is certain.

In the case of the study, they simply found that the average salary is greater for college graduates. This doesn't mean that in every case the college graduate makes more money.

The problem is the word "ensures". Our study doesn't show certainty only a general pattern.

Answer 2

Explanation:

Given that a study shows that, over the course of a lifetime, the average salary of college graduates is greater than the average salary of people with only a high school diploma.

The results were published claiming that graduating from college ensures you will make more money over the course of your lifetime.

Only means should not be compared. variances of each sample should be ascertained and test for comparison of two means to be done to conclude that one mean is greater than the other.

Hence here problem is correlation and causality.