Statistical reasoning

The particular reasoning involved in (successfully) dealing with or required in response to arguments which depend upon statistics or probability.

For example, people may fail to see that the fact that they have known smokers who have lived to ninety years’ of age in apparent good health (personal experience) provides no proper basis to dismiss or diminish the well-established statistical relation between smoking and fatal diseases.

(see also: Probabilistic principle, statistical evidence, statistical significance, statistical analysis, Studies – Scientific or Empirical, statistic, sample, Law of large numbers, Margin of error, sample bias, survey, judgement, decision-making, Decision analysis, decision-making under uncertainty)