The harm done by tests of significance
Abstract
Three historical episodes in which the application of null hypothesis significance testing (NHST) led to the mis-interpretation of data are described. It is argued that the pervasive use of this statistical ritual impedes the accumulation of knowledge and is unfit for use.
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It is easy to find cases where statistical significance harmed decision-making.
“In contrast, it is easy to find cases where statistical significance harmed decision-making.”
From Illusions in Regression Analysis (2011) · cites this paper as Hauer (2004)
Hauer demonstrates harmful decisions related to automobile traffic safety, such as the 'Right-turn-on-red decision.'
“To offer another example, Hauer (2004) demonstrates harmful decisions related to automobile traffic safety, such as the 'Right-turn-on-red decision.'”
From Illusions in Regression Analysis (2011) · cites this paper as Hauer (2004)
The citation lists haven’t been fetched yet
References 9 · Cited by 70
- Authors
- Hauer, E.
- Corresponding author
- Hauer, Ezra
- ORCID
- Hauer, Ezra
- Venue
- Accident Analysis & Prevention
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2004-05
- Volume
- 36
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 495-500
- ISSN
- 0001-4575 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2001966914
- Cited by
- 70
- References
- 9
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 2 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 5
- FWCI
- 3.44
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Accident Analysis & Prevention (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Mathematics › Statistics and Probability › Statistical Methods in Epidemiology
- Physical Sciences › Mathematics › Statistics and Probability › Statistical Methods and Bayesian Inference
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Statistics, Probability and Uncertainty › Meta-analysis and systematic reviews
- Keywords
- null hypothesis significance testing, misinterpretation of statistical results, history of statistics, knowledge accumulation
- MeSH terms
- Accidents, Traffic, Automobile Driving, Data Interpretation, Statistical, Humans, Probability, Safety, Confidence Intervals, Statistical Distributions
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