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Cited by 182Statistics Education and MethodologiesStatistical Methods in EpidemiologyComplex Network Analysis Techniques

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 24 of the 25 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

The Spread of Evidence-Poor Medicine via Flawed Social-Network Analysis

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Lyons, Russell·2011·Statistics, Politics, and Policy
DOI 10.2202/2151-7509.1024
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Abstract

The chronic widespread misuse of statistics is usually inadvertent, not intentional. We find cautionary examples in a series of recent papers by Christakis and Fowler that advance statistical arguments for the transmission via social networks of various personal characteristics, including obesity, smoking cessation, happiness, and loneliness. Those papers also assert that such influence extends to three degrees of separation in social networks. We shall show that these conclusions do not follow from Christakis and Fowler's statistical analyses. In fact, their studies even provide some evidence against the existence of such transmission. The errors that we expose arose, in part, because the assumptions behind the statistical procedures used were insufficiently examined, not only by the authors, but also by the reviewers. Our examples are instructive because the practitioners are highly reputed, their results have received enormous popular attention, and the journals that published their studies are among the most respected in the world. An educational bonus emerges from the difficulty we report in getting our critique published. We discuss the relevance of this episode to understanding statistical literacy and the role of scientific review, as well as to reforming statistics education.

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Research works printed but not linked: 9

  1. Fidler, 2004, Editors can lead researchers to confidence intervals but can t make them think Politics and Policy Iss Art Longitudinal data analysis using general - ized linear models URL http : / / dx doi org biomet, Statistics Biometrika, 24, 73, 10.2202/2151-7509.1024
  2. Stiglitz, 2010, Lessons from the global financial crisis of Seoul, Econ, 23, 321
  3. Baldus, 1990, Positivism s twilight ? Can, J Sociol, 15, 149
  4. Taubes, 1995, Epidemiology faces its limits, Science, 269
  5. Keynes, 1939, Professor Tinbergen s method, J, 49, 558
  6. Keynes, 1940, Comment [ on Tinbergen s reply ], J, 50, 154
  7. Rosenquist, 2010, The spread of alcohol consumption behavior in a large social network Ann, Intern Med, 152
  8. Freedman, 2005, Hormone replacement therapy does not save lives : Comments on the Women s Health Initiative, Biometrics, 61
  9. Smith, 1991, Where is the wisdom ? The poverty of medical evidence Brit, Med J, 303

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Metadata

Authors
Lyons, R.
Corresponding author
Lyons, Russell
ORCID
Lyons, Russell
Venue
Statistics, Politics, and Policy
Publisher
Walter de Gruyter GmbH
Published
2011-01-18
Volume
2
Issue
1
ISSN
2151-7509 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.2202/2151-7509.1024
OpenAlex
W2152314940
Cited by
182
References
25
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 22 · 2017: 14 · 2016: 13 · 2015: 19 · 2014: 13 · 2013: 32 · 2012: 16
FWCI
20.49
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Statistics Politics and Policy (publishedVersion)
  • arXiv (Cornell University) (submittedVersion)
  • arXiv (Cornell University)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Mathematics › Statistics and Probability › Statistics Education and Methodologies
  • Physical Sciences › Mathematics › Statistics and Probability › Statistical Methods in Epidemiology
  • Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Statistical and Nonlinear Physics › Complex Network Analysis Techniques
Keywords
social network analysis, evidence-based medicine, smoking cessation, happiness, loneliness, statistical methodology critique, statistical literacy, peer review, statistics education, misuse of statistics

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