People often ask – why do girls like bad boys? But do women like bad guys, or do they actually prefer “powerful good guys”?

October 25, 2023

People often talk about how women are attracted to "bad guys" and don't actually like the "nice guys," or they ask, "Why do girls like bad boys?" or "Why do girls like mean guys?" In my opinion, these views are based on misunderstandings of what is attractive. It's definitely true that some women are attracted to traits like narcissism, callousness, and manipulativeness (and some unusual women even go so far as to write letters to serial killers to get to know them). In my experience, though...

Addressing some common misconceptions about rape and sexual assault

January 9, 2022

I sometimes meet people who think rape and sexual assault are very rare. Or who believe that if someone is assaulted and doesn't report it, then that casts doubt on their story or means they're (somehow) blameworthy. I also have heard people claim that if a victim stays in touch with (or is friendly to) the perpetrator afterward, it means the event must have been consensual (or else fabricated). I think these perspectives are based on misconceptions. To help clear them up, I'd like to share ...

Disputes Over How to Use Statistics in the Real World

January 21, 2018

There is a surprising lack of consensus on how to do statistics, especially as applies to science. As the tool that underpins the scientific enterprise, you'd think we would have figured it out by now. You'd be wrong. The mathematical proofs are, of course, very rarely disputed. The use of mathematics is much more often disputed. Why do these disputes arise? I've observed five different types. Disputes in Applications of Statistics to Science (1) Disputes over philosophy: Exa...