Reply #9: Bogus sample size

[kay1864]

In his study of homosexuality among sportsmen in the US, sociologist Dr Eric Anderson found that 19 in a sample of 47 had taken part in acts intended to sexually arouse other men, ranging from kissing to mutual masturbation and oral sex.

The 47 men, aged 18-23, were all American Football players who previously played at the high school (secondary school) level but had failed to be picked for their university's team and were now cheerleaders instead. They were at various universities from the American south, Mid-West, west and north west.

One cannot reasonably conclude from a sample size of 47 that "one third of former American high school football players have had sexual relations with other men".

This guy's a sociologist? Didn't he take a course in statistics?