Significance testing as perverse probabilistic reasoning

M. Brandon Westover, Kenneth D. Westover, Matt T. Bianchi

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

26 Scopus citations

Abstract

Truth claims in the medical literature rely heavily on statistical significance testing. Unfortunately, most physicians misunderstand the underlying probabilistic logic of significance tests and consequently often misinterpret their results. This near-universal misunderstanding is highlighted by means of a simple quiz which we administered to 246 physicians at two major academic hospitals, on which the proportion of incorrect responses exceeded 90%. A solid understanding of the fundamental concepts of probability theory is becoming essential to the rational interpretation of medical information. This essay provides a technically sound review of these concepts that is accessible to a medical audience. We also briefly review the debate in the cognitive sciences regarding physicians' aptitude for probabilistic inference.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number20
JournalBMC medicine
Volume9
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 28 2011

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Medicine

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