Gambler's Fallacy

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This page is part of the EvoWiki encyclopedia of fallacies. Browse: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Contents 1 Synonyms 2 Explanation 3 Category 4 Twin Fallacy 5 External Links 6 Examples in creationist arguments

Synonyms

• Fallacy of Statistics
• Gambler's
• Gambler's Mistake
• Monte Carlo
• Monte Carlo Fallacy

Explanation

The Gambler's Fallacy is a misunderstanding of the laws of probability, most notably the law of large numbers, to imply that independent random variables "even out" by active self-correction.

For instance, given four successive results of "heads" for a series of fair coin tosses, the fallacy implies that a result of "tails" is more probable for the next toss.

Category

• Misuse of Statistics
• False Cause

Twin Fallacy

• Reverse Gambler's Fallacy

External Links

• Bruce Thompson [1]
• Fallacy Files [2]
• Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy [3]
• Wikipedia [4]
• Skeptic's Dictionary [5]

Examples in creationist arguments