A recent example of the reference-class problem

As Zeynep Tufekci explains in this excellent essay, the now-infamous Catcalling Video was not based on a random sample of New York City neighborhoods. Here is the actual and non-random breakdown of time spent in each neighborhood:

In other words, the methodology of the filmmakers of the Catcalling Video is flawed. Over half of the shots in the video are actually taken from just one street: 125th Street in Harlem. The full table of NYC neighborhoods and streets in the video is available under the fold.

Hat tip to Chris Moore of Mass Appeal for this table.

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About F. E. Guerra-Pujol

When I’m not blogging, I am a business law professor at the University of Central Florida.
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1 Response to A recent example of the reference-class problem

  1. The Professor's Wife's avatar The Professor's Wife says:

    Excellent observation!

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