Comments on: Beauty Skepticism Part 3 – Anecdotal Evidence http://thebeautybrains.com/2009/02/11/beauty-skepticism-part-3-anecdotal-evidence/ Cosmetic chemists answer your beauty product questions! We are a group of cosmetic scientists who understand what the chemicals used in cosmetics really do, how products are tested, and what all the advertising means. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:42:30 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Rae http://thebeautybrains.com/2009/02/11/beauty-skepticism-part-3-anecdotal-evidence/comment-page-1/#comment-71982 Rae Fri, 01 Jul 2011 01:25:09 +0000 http://thebeautybrains.com/?p=4340#comment-71982 That's a good question @professorauntie, I hope someone from the Brains answer it. That’s a good question @professorauntie, I hope someone from the Brains answer it.

]]> By: professorauntie http://thebeautybrains.com/2009/02/11/beauty-skepticism-part-3-anecdotal-evidence/comment-page-1/#comment-47614 professorauntie Wed, 27 Jan 2010 20:31:28 +0000 http://thebeautybrains.com/?p=4340#comment-47614 Thanks for this skepticism series! As a non-scientist who unfortunately has made it through high school and college with almost no science education, I have a question for you scientists: Is there any value in collective anecdotal evidence such as product ratings on sites like drugstore.com, makeupalley, and folica? If so, how many individual product ratings need to be averaged for an average rating to be meaningful? If over 100 people give a product 4 out of 5 stars, I might try it. If over 100 people give it 1 star, I probably wouldn't buy it. If only a few people rate a product, I ignore the rating. What do you think of this use of anecdotal evidence? Thanks for this skepticism series! As a non-scientist who unfortunately has made it through high school and college with almost no science education, I have a question for you scientists:

Is there any value in collective anecdotal evidence such as product ratings on sites like drugstore.com, makeupalley, and folica? If so, how many individual product ratings need to be averaged for an average rating to be meaningful?

If over 100 people give a product 4 out of 5 stars, I might try it. If over 100 people give it 1 star, I probably wouldn’t buy it. If only a few people rate a product, I ignore the rating. What do you think of this use of anecdotal evidence?

]]> By: Is The Goody Copper Brush Good For Dandruff? | The Beauty Brains http://thebeautybrains.com/2009/02/11/beauty-skepticism-part-3-anecdotal-evidence/comment-page-1/#comment-35765 Is The Goody Copper Brush Good For Dandruff? | The Beauty Brains Sun, 15 Feb 2009 06:02:17 +0000 http://thebeautybrains.com/?p=4340#comment-35765 [...] is plenty of anecdotal evidence  that copper brushes are good for dandruff. And there is a scientific evidence that copper ions [...] [...] is plenty of anecdotal evidence  that copper brushes are good for dandruff. And there is a scientific evidence that copper ions [...]

]]> By: anactoria http://thebeautybrains.com/2009/02/11/beauty-skepticism-part-3-anecdotal-evidence/comment-page-1/#comment-35693 anactoria Fri, 13 Feb 2009 04:25:46 +0000 http://thebeautybrains.com/?p=4340#comment-35693 What Janis said, totally! I like this series and this part in particular. I still think a lot of this is due, on the US's part, to the fact that critical reasoning is so absent in American education (and culture, really) and science is so /scary/. I like the way you're explaining these: simple and to the point. I heard that's the best way to explain things. ^_~ What Janis said, totally! I like this series and this part in particular. I still think a lot of this is due, on the US’s part, to the fact that critical reasoning is so absent in American education (and culture, really) and science is so /scary/. I like the way you’re explaining these: simple and to the point. I heard that’s the best way to explain things. ^_~

]]> By: Moxie Hart http://thebeautybrains.com/2009/02/11/beauty-skepticism-part-3-anecdotal-evidence/comment-page-1/#comment-35688 Moxie Hart Fri, 13 Feb 2009 01:36:47 +0000 http://thebeautybrains.com/?p=4340#comment-35688 I'm only really fond of anecdotal evidence/studies when it's studying something rare enough that you can't necessarily find enough people with the same experience to create a generalizable sample. They're interesting for rare diseases/phenomena but even then they're just a starting point. I’m only really fond of anecdotal evidence/studies when it’s studying something rare enough that you can’t necessarily find enough people with the same experience to create a generalizable sample. They’re interesting for rare diseases/phenomena but even then they’re just a starting point.

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