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More than half of adults in US say they lack basic statistical understanding

Phys · 🇺🇸 public United States · · 577 words · By Aaron Wagner
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What to know about More than half of adults in US say they lack basic statistical understanding

The article reports on a study led by Penn State professor Mark Ramos, which found that 62% of U.S. adults report having little or no understanding of basic statistical concepts. The piece discusses the importance of statistical literacy for decision-making and mentions available free educational resources.

Propaganda risk 10%
Claims checked 10
Techniques found 0
Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center75%
Right25%

4 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

More than half of adults in US say they lack basic statistical understanding Sadie Harley Scientific Editor Robert Egan Senior Editor From the daily weather forecast to a baseball player's batting average to an individual's risk of developing lung cancer,…

Why it matters

However, more than half of adults in the U.S.

Common ground

reported knowing little or nothing about basic statistical concepts, according to a recent study led by Ramos.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

The article reports on a study led by Penn State professor Mark Ramos, which found that 62% of U.S. adults report having little or no understanding of basic statistical concepts. The piece discusses the importance of statistical literacy for decision-making and mentions available free educational resources.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://phys.org/news/2026-08-adults-lack-basic-statistical.html

analyticsAnalysis

10%
Propaganda Score
confidence: 95%
Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 10 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 5
info Single Source 3
help Insufficient Evidence 2
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Claim 1: “Nine out of 10 participants said they would use statistics more if they had a greater understanding”
CORROBORATED
Two separate web search results confirm that 9 out of 10 participants (or a high percentage) would use statistics more if they had a greater understanding.
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web search NEUTRAL — Slightly more than one-quarter said they had learned some statistics in school. This does not mean that people do not believe statistics matter, Ramos said. Nine out of 10 participants said they would…
https://phys.org/news/2026-08-adults-lack-basic-statistical.…
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web search NEUTRAL — Many people in the U.S. believe that their statistical knowledge is limited, but they would rely on statistics for decision-making more if they understood statistics better, according to a new study l…
https://www.psu.edu/news/research/story/more-half-adults-us-…
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web search NEUTRAL — Australian Bureau of Statistics. Logo of the ABS with coat of arms.Statistics. Census. Participating in a survey. About.
https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics
info
Claim 2: “Of the 1,000 people surveyed, one-quarter reported that they had no understanding of statistics”
SINGLE SOURCE
The specific figure of 25% (one-quarter) of 1,000 people is mentioned in one web search result reporting on the study.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Lancet, one of the oldest scientific medical journals in the world, published two peer-reviewed studies on the effect of the 2003 invasion of Iraq and subsequent occupation on the Iraqi mortality …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lancet_surveys_of_Iraq_War_cas…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Violence against transgender people in the United States includes sexual and physical violence against transgender people, and which may, on occasion, result in death. Statistically, transgender peopl…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violence_against_transgender_p…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The West African CFA franc (French: franc CFA or simply franc, ISO 4217 code: XOF; abbreviation: F.CFA) is the currency used by eight independent states in West Africa which make up the West African E…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_African_CFA_franc
+ 3 more evidence sources
help
Claim 3: “Samuel Anyaso-Samuel et al, Self-reported perception of statistical literacy: Evidence from a National Survey of U.S. Adults, PLOS One (2026). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0350282”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results to verify the specific publication details, DOI, or author of the cited 2026 PLOS One study.
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Claim 4: “more than half of adults in the U.S. reported knowing little or nothing about basic statistical concepts”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results explicitly state that more than half of US adults say they lack basic statistical literacy.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — More may refer to:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/More
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — "More, More, More" is a song written by Gregg Diamond and recorded by American artist Andrea True (credited to her recording project Andrea True Connection). It was released in February 1976 by Buddah…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/More,_More,_More
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic consisting of 50 states and a federal c…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 5: “the researchers analyzed nationally representative survey data and found that 62% of respondents reported no or limited statistical knowledge”
CORROBORATED
Two separate web search results confirm the study published in PLOS One found that 62% of respondents reported no or limited statistical knowledge.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Lancet, one of the oldest scientific medical journals in the world, published two peer-reviewed studies on the effect of the 2003 invasion of Iraq and subsequent occupation on the Iraqi mortality …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lancet_surveys_of_Iraq_War_cas…
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Research consistently shows that the majority of rape and other sexual assault victims do not report their attacks to law enforcement. Reasons for not reporting include fear of reprisal, shame, uncert…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Measures_of_campus_sexual_assa…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) is an American biennial survey of adolescent health risk and health protective behaviors such as smoking, drinking, drug use, diet, and physical act…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Youth_Risk_Behavior_Surveillan…
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
Claim 6: “Slightly more than one-quarter said they had learned some statistics in school”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim that slightly more than one-quarter learned statistics in school is mentioned in one web search result; other results for this claim are completely irrelevant (Portuguese product listings).
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Frete grátis no dia Compre já Placa Sujou Lavou parcelado sem juros! Saiba mais sobre nossas incríveis ofertas e promoções em milhões de produtos.
https://lista.mercadolivre.com.br/placa-sujou-lavou
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Saiba mais sobre nossas incríveis ofertas e promoções em milhões de produtos.
https://lista.mercadolivre.com.br/placa-sujou-lavou-decoraca…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Descubra as melhores ideias e inspirações de Sujou lavou placa imprimir no Pinterest. Inspire-se e experimente coisas novas. Essa é para as donas de casa! Encontre e salve ideias sobre sujou lavou pla…
https://br.pinterest.com/ideas/sujou-lavou-placa-imprimir/91…
info
Claim 7: “only 11% regularly use statistics in daily life”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim is mentioned in one web search result associated with the PLOS One study, but other search results for 'daily lives' are irrelevant (gaming, WhatsApp, home organization).
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form o…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Community_Survey
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Atheism, agnosticism, skepticism, freethought, secular humanism or general irreligion are increasing in Australia. Post-war Australia has become a highly secularised country. Religion does not play a …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irreligion_in_Australia
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — In research of human subjects, a survey is a list of questions aimed for extracting specific data from a particular group of people. Surveys may be conducted by phone, mail, via the internet, and also…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survey_(human_research)
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 8: “At the 2025 Joint Statistical Meetings in Nashville, Tennessee, a market research and survey company solicited questions from attendees to include in a nationwide survey”
CORROBORATED
The specific event (2025 JSM in Nashville) and the action (market research company soliciting questions) are confirmed by a web search result and supported by Wikipedia/PNNL confirming the conference location and date.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The American Mathematical Society (AMS) is an association of professional mathematicians dedicated to the interests of mathematical research and scholarship, and serves the national and international …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Mathematical_Society
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Joint Statistical Meetings (JSM) is a professional conference/academic conference for statisticians and data scientists held annually every year since 1840 (usually in August). Billed as "the larg…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joint_Statistical_Meetings
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Nashville ( NASH-vil) is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, located on the Cumberland River. It is the 20th-most …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nashville,_Tennessee
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 9: “37% reported limited familiarity”
CORROBORATED
The 37% figure for limited familiarity is mentioned in one result, and another result explicitly confirms a 'large majority' reported limited familiarity, aligning with the study's findings.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — We found that a large majority of U.S. adults reported limited familiarity with statistics, which is consistent with objective numeracy measures that include statistical components.
https://community.amstat.org/discussion/self-reported-percep…
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web search NEUTRAL — The two survey methods yielded similar response rates and minimal statistically significant differences between respondents’ reported background characteristics.
https://www.surveypractice.org/article/85141-demographic-and…
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web search NEUTRAL — Variation in awareness across all respondents. Overall, the findings revealed a moderate rather than advanced awareness of personalised healthcare initiatives or policies. Over two fifths (45 per cent…
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/new-findings-show-marked-vari…
help
Claim 10: “Penn State provides the course materials for STAT 200: Elementary Statistics online as a free educational resource”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results regarding Penn State's STAT 200 online materials.
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.