Statistical koan #3 (March 16, 2006)

The blindfolded donkey.

Student Leaf approached Master Stem with a question. "Master Stem. My statistical model requires an assumption of normality, but I have an outlier in the data. Should I not remove the outlier so I can satisfy this assumption?"

Master Stem replied, "It is a perilous journey you are undertaking and I understand your caution. When I last crossed the mountains, I was also cautious. The donkey I rode upon knew the path well, but during the most dangerous part of the journey, I blindfolded him because if he could not see the loose rocks on the path, he would not slip on them."

This webpage was written by Steve Simon and was last modified on 2008-07-08. Category: Teaching resources